title: In vitro digestion enhances anti-adhesion effect of tempe and tofu against Escherichia coli.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is one of the main pathogenic bacteria causing diarrhoea. Earlier studies have shown that tempe-a fungal fermented soya food-has anti-adhesive activity against E. coli in vitro. Our aims were to challenge the anti-adhesive activity under gastro-intestinal conditions and to assess the activity of the nonfermented soya product tofu.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, we compared the anti-adhesive activity of two major soya bean products, tempe and tofu, and their ileum efflux after transit through a dynamic gastrointestinal system simulating digestion in the human stomach and small intestine. The results showed that both tempe and tofu have an anti-adhesive activity against E. coli in vitro. Tempe and tofu, after digestion through the stomach and small intestine, have even higher anti-E. coli adhesive activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to the proven in-vivo activity of tempe, this confirms the potential antidiarrhoeal effect of both the soya products tempe and tofu.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As tofu has a much greater circle of consumers, this finding is relevant for the health of a large part of the world's population.
authors: Department of Food Science, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Province, China.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Mo
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Zhu
authors: M J R
authors: MJ
authors: Nout
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D004063:Digestion / Q000502:physiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008871:Microvilli / Q000382:microbiology; D045730:Soy Foods / Q000382:microbiology*; D013552:Swine