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Effect of Lactulose on the Composition and Metabolic Activity of the Human Faecal Flora

1992; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 5; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3402/mehd.v5i1.7768

1651-2235

A. Terada, H. Hara, Manami Kataoka, Tomotari MITSUOKA,

Digestive system and related health

The effect of dietary supplementation with lactulose (3 g/d for 2 wk) on the faecal flora and faecal bacterial metabolism was studied in eight healthy volunteers. During the intake of lactulose, the number of bifidobacteria increased significantly ( P < 0.01), whereas the numbers of lecithinase-positive clostridia, including Clostridium perfringens , and Bacteroidaceae decreased ( P < 0.05) compared to values before and after the intake. Faecal indole, skatol and phenols, and faecal β-glucuronidase, nitroreductase and azoreductase activities were decreased significantly ( P < 0.05) after 7-14 d of treatment. Mean faecal pH decreased from 7.0 to 6.4, and water content increased 3.5-5.3 per cent during lactulose ingestion. Keywords: Lactulose; Faecal flora; Faecal bacterial metabolism.