title: Effect of dietary cellulose on the metabolic activity of the rat caecal microflora.
abstract: Alpha-cellulose, added to a purified diet at six levels [0%, 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 20%, and 40% (w/w)] and fed to weanling rats for 3 weeks, had no effect on body weight, but it increased the weight of caecal contents and decreased the numbers of bacteria per total caecal contents. Caecal microbial azoreductase, nitroreductase, beta-glucosidase and nitrate reductase activities per total caecal contents were also significantly decreased by 10% dietary cellulose and above, yet beta-glucuronidase activity was only affected significantly by 40% dietary cellulose. Azoreductase and nitroreductase activities were highly correlated with one another and showed a similar response to cellulose.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology*; D002432:Cecum / Q000382:microbiology*; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000032:analysis; D009247:NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases / Q000032:analysis; D009601:Nitroreductases; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D009247:NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases; D009601:Nitroreductases; C021106:azoreductase; D005966:Glucuronidase