Protective effects of dietary lactulose and calcium phosphate against Salmonella infection.
Protection against intestinal infections by lactulose fermentation might be enhanced by calcium phosphate, due to the increased buffering capacity and/or inhibition of the cytotoxicity of luminal contents.



SPF rats were fed a low-calcium control diet, a low-calcium/lactulose diet or a high-calcium/lactulose diet and orally infected with Salmonella enteritidis. Faeces and urine were sampled for microbiological and chemical analyses.



The lactulose-fed rats had a better colonization resistance. Translocation was reduced by dietary calcium, whereas lactulose was ineffective. In addition, calcium supplementation stimulated lactulose fermentation, reversed the lactulose-induced increase in cytotoxicity of faecal water and normalized growth and faecal consistency.



The combination of dietary lactulose and calcium phosphate is protective against Salmonella infection.
Bovee-Oudenhoven
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I
Dept. of Nutrition, Netherlands Institute for Dairy Research, Ede, The Netherlands.
Van der Meer
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R
D000818:Animals; D018988:Bacterial Translocation; D002130:Calcium Phosphates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D005285:Fermentation; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007792:Lactulose / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012477:Salmonella enteritidis / Q000502:physiology; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
D002130:Calcium Phosphates; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; C485828:alpha-tricalcium phosphate; C485830:tetracalcium phosphate; D007792:Lactulose; C485838:calcium phosphate, monobasic, anhydrous; C020243:calcium phosphate; C485829:calcium phosphate, dibasic, anhydrous