Effects of dietary fructan on cecal enzyme activities in rats

In this study, we have attempted to determine the effects of dietary fructose polymers (fructan), high molecular-weight β-(2,6)-linked levan, and low-molecular-weight β-(2,1)-linked inulin, on two intestinal enzymes (β-glucuronidase and β-glucosidase). As a preliminary experiment, when intestinal microflora were cultured in anaerobic media harboring levan or its oligosaccharides, bacterial cell growth was observed in the levanoligosaccharide-supplemented media, but not in the levan-supplemented media, indicating that levan’s size is important for the utilization by intestinal bacteria of levan as an energy source. In our animal study, the intake of a levan-rich diet was determined to significantly attenuate the activity of the harmful enzyme β-glucuronidase, but did not affect the activity of β-glucosidase.