Somatic cell cryopreservation and protoplast regeneration of important disease-resistant wild rice Oryza meyeriana Baill

Ｗｉｌｄｇｅｒｍｐｌａｓｍｃｏｎｓｉｓｔｓｏｆａｎｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔｂａｓｉｓｆｏｒｇｅｎｅｔｉｃｉｍｐｒｏｖｅｍｅｎｔｏｆｃｕｌｔｉｖａｔｅｄｒｉｃｅ.ＯｒｙｚａｍｅｙｅｒｉａｎａｉｓｏｎｅｏｆｔｈｅｔｈｒｅｅｗｉｌｄＯｒｙｚａｓｐｅｃｉｅｓｆｏｕｎｄｉｎＣｈｉｎａ[1].ＡｃｃｅｓｓｉｏｎｓｏｒｉｇｉｎａｔｅｄｉｎＹｕｎｎａｎＰｒｏｖｉｎｃｅｅｘｈｉｂｉｔｓｔｒｏｎｇｒｅｓｉｓｔａｎｃｅｔｏｂａｃｔｅｒｉａｌｌｅａｆｂｌｉｇｈｔ[2].Ｏ.ｍｅｙｅｒｉａｎａｇｒｏｗｓｏｎｔｈｅｈｉｌｌｓｉｄｅｕｎｄｅ…     

Raman spectroscopic study of space structure of membrane proteins and membrane lipids in photodamaged human erythrocyte sensitized by hypocrellin B

Ｈｙｐｏｃｒｅｌｌｉｎａｎｄｉｔｓｄｅｒｉｖａｔｉｖｅｓａｒｅｗｅｌｌｋｎｏｗｎｐｈｏｔｏｓｅｎｓｉｔｉｚｅｒｓ[1,2].ＡｍｏｎｇｔｈｅｍｂｏｔｈｈｙｐｏｃｒｅｌｌｉｎＡ(ＨＡ)ａｎｄｈｙｐｏｃｒｅｌｌｉｎＢ(ＨＢ)ｓｈｏｗｐｒｏｍｉｓｉｎｇａｎｔｉｃａｎｃｅｒａｎｄａｎｔｉｖｉｒａｌａｂｉｌｉｔｙ[1—3].Ｉｎｏｒｄｅｒｔｏｉｎｖｅｓｔｉｇａｔｅｉｔｓｍｅｃｈａｎｉｓｍｓ,ｍａｎｙｍｅｔｈｏｄｓｈａｖｅｂｅｅｎｕｓｅｄｔｏｄｅｔｅｃｔｔｈｅａｃｔｉｖｅｏｘｙｇｅｎｓｕｃｈａｓ1Ｏ2,Ｏ2.-,.ＯＨａｎｄｓｅｍ…     

NOTICE :ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH

ＺＯＯＬＯＧＩＣＡＬＲＥＳＥＡＲＣＨＺｏｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌＲｅｓｅａｒｃｈ (ＺＲ)ｉｓａｎａｃａｄｅｍｉｃｊｏｕｒｎａｌｏｆｚｏｏｌｏ ｇｙｄｉｓｔｒｉｂｕｔｅｄｉｎｂｏｔｈＣｈｉｎａａｎｄｏｖｅｒｓｅａｓ .ＩｔｗａｓｆｉｒｓｔｐｕｂｌｉｓｈｅｄｂｙｔｈｅＫｕｎｍｉｎｇＩｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｏｆＺｏｏｌｏｇｙ ,ｔｈｅＣｈｉｎｅｓｅＡｃａｄｅｍｙｏｆＳｃｉｅｎｃｅｓｉｎ 1980 ,ａｓａｑｕａｒｔｅｒｌｙｊｏｕｒｎａｌ.Ｉｔｈａｓｂｅｅｎｐｕｂｌｉｓｈｅｄｂｉｍｏｎｔｈｌｙｓｉｎｃｅ 1998.ＺＲｈａｓｐｕｂｌｉｓ…     

PRIMARY CELL CULTURE FOR EMBRYONIC CARDIAC MYOCYTES OF MEXICAN AXOLOTL AND DISTRIBUTION OF DESMIN AND VIMENTIN

ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＴｈｅａｘｏｌｏｔｌｐｒｏｖｉｄｅｓａｖａｌｕａｂｌｅｍｏｄｅｌｓｙｓｔｅｍｆｏｒｓｔｕｄｙｉｎｇｍｕｓｃｌｅｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔａｎｄｆｕｎｃｔｉｏｎ．Ｅｌｅｃｔｒｏｎｍｉｃｒｏｓｃｏｐｙｒｅｖｅａｌｓｔｈａｔａｘｏｌｏｔ...     

集约高产过程中土壤有机质动态初探

集约高产过程中土壤有机质动态初探崔玉亭,韩纯儒（北京农业大学,１０００９４）ＤｙｎａｍｉｃｓｏｆＳｏｉｌＯｒｇａｎｉｃＭａｔｔｅｒ（ＳＯＭ）ｉｎｔｈｅＰｒｏｃｅｓｓｏｆＡｇｒｉｃｕｌｔｕｒａｌＩｎｔｅｎｓｉｆｉｃａｔｉｏｎ￥．ＣｕｉＹｕｔｉｎｇ;ＨａｎＣｈｕｎｒｕ（ＢｅｉｊｉｎｇＡｇｒｉｃｕｌｔｕｒａｌＵｎｉｖｅｒｓｉｔｙ,１０００９４）．ＣｈｉｎｅｓｅＪｏｕｒｎａｌｏｆＥｃｏｌｏｇｙ,１９９３,１２（２）：３７—３８．Ｉｎｔｈｉｓｐａｐｅｒ,ｔｈｅｂａｌａｎｃｅｏｆｓｏｉｌｏｒｇａｎｉｃｍａｔｔｅｒ（ＳＯＭ）ｉｎｔｈｅｐｒｏｃｅｓｓｏｆａｇｒｉｃｕｌｔｕｒａｌｉｎｔｅｎｓｉｆｉｃａｔｉｏｎｉｎＣｈａｎｇｚｈｏｕｒｅｇｉｏｎｉｓｓｔｕｄｉｅｄａｎｄａｍｅｄｉｕｍ－ａｎｄｌｏｎｇ－ｔｅｒｍｐｒｅｄｉｃｔｉｏｎｏｆｉｔｓｄｙｎａｍｉｃｓｉｓｍａｄｅ。Ｔｈｅｒｅ－ｓｕｌｔｓｓｈｏｗｔｈａｔｄｕｒｉｎｇｔｈｉｓｐｒｏｃｅｓｓ,ｔｈｅｂａｌａｎｃｅｏｆＳＯＭｉｓｇｅｔｔｉｎｇｂｅｔｔｅｒ,ａｎｄａｆｔｅｒａｍｅｄｉｕｍｏｒｌｏｎｇｐｅ－ｒｉｏｄ（ｅ．ｇ,１０—２０ｙｅａｔｓ）,ｔｈｅＳＯＭｃｏｎｔｅｎｔｃａｎｇｅｔｔ     

Transformation of Orychophragmus violaceus Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens And Regeneration of Transgenic Plants

ＴｒａｎｓｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎｏｆＯｒｙｃｈｏｐｈｒａｇｍｕｓｖｉｏｌａｃｅｕｓＵｓｉｎｇＡｇｒｏｂａｃｔｅｒｉｕｍｔｕｍｅｆａｃｉｅｎｓＡｎｄＲｅｇｅｎｅｒａｔｉｏｎｏｆＴｒａｎｓｇｅｎｉｃＰｌａｎｔｓａ￥ＺＨＯＵＪｉ－ｍｉｎｇ（周冀明）;ＷＥＩＺｈ...     

INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTRIBUTORS OF ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH

ＩＮＳＴＲＵＣＴＩＯＮＳＴＯＣＯＮＴＲＩＢＵＴＯＲＳＯＦＺＯＯＬＯＧＩＣＡＬＲＥＳＥＡＲＣＨ￥／／１．ＺｏｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌＲｅｓｅａｒｃｈ，ｉｓｅｄｉｔｅｄｂｙｔｈｅＫｕｎｍｉｎｇｉｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｏｆＺｏｏｌｏｇｙ，ｔｈｅＣｈｉｎｅｓｅＡｃａｄｅｍ...     

Sox and Zfx genes in giant panda

ＯｎｅｏｆｔｈｅｒｅｃｅｎｔｂｒｅａｋｔｈｒｏｕｇｈｓｏｆｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔａｌｂｉｏｌｏｇｙｉｓｔｈｅｉｄｅｎｔｉｆｉｃａｔｉｏｎｏｆｔｈｅｔｅｓｔｉｓｄｅｔｅｒｍｉｎｉｎｇｆａｃｔｏｒｇｅｎｅｏｎｔｈｅｍａｍｍａｌｉａｎＹｃｈｒｏｍｏｓｏｍｅ[1],ＳＲＹｇｅｎｅ,ｂｙａｌｏｎｇｈｉｓｔｏｒｙｏｆｓｅａｒｃｈｆｏｒｔｈｅｇｅｎｅ,ｆｒｏｍＢｋｍ,ＨＹａｎｔｉｇｅｎ,ＺＦＸ/ＺＦＹｔｏＳＲＹ/ＳＯＸ(ＳＲＹｂｏｘｇｅｎｅｆａｍｉｌｙ).Ｒｅｃｅｎｔｓｔｕｄｉｅｓｓｈｏｗｔｈａｔａｎｕｍｂｅｒｏｆｃｌｏ…     

The Second Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Biotechnology

ＡＤＶＩＳＯＲＪＩＡＯＲｕｉ Ｓｈｅｎ (Ｊ .Ｓ .Ｃｈａｏ)　　Ｐｒｏｆｅｓｓｏｒ(ＩｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｏｆＰｌａｎｔＰｈｙｓｉｏｌｏｇｙａｎｄＥｃｏｌｏｇｙ ,ＳｈａｎｇｈａｉＩｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｓｆｏｒＢｉｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌＳｃｉｅｎｃｅｓ ,ＣｈｉｎｅｓｅＡｃａｄｅｍｙｏｆＳｃｉｅｎｃｅｓ ,Ｓｈａｎｇｈａｉ 2 0 0 0 32 ,Ｃｈｉｎａ)ＥＤＩＴＯＲ ＩＮ ＣＨＩＥＦＹＡＮＧＳｈｅｎｇ Ｌｉ　　Ａｃａｄｅｍｉｃｉａｎ(ＳｈａｎｇｈａｉＲｅｓｅａｒｃｈＣｅｎｔｅｒｆｏｒＢｉｏｔｅｃｈｎｏｌｏｇｙ ,ＣｈｉｎｅｓｅＡｃａ…     

达乌尔黄鼠染色体银染核仁组织者分析

达乌尔黄鼠染色体银染核仁组织者分析ＡＮＡＬＹＳＩＳＯＮＣＨＲＯＭＯＳＯＭＥＳＡｇ－ＮＯＲＳＯＦＣＩＴＥＬＬＵＳＤＡＵＲＩＣＵＳＫｅｙｗｏｒｄｓＣｉｌｅｌｌｕｓｄａｕｒｉｃｕｓ;Ｃｈｒｏｍｏｓｏｍｅ;Ａｇ－ＮＯＲ达乌尔黄鼠（ｃｉｌｅｌｌｕｓｄａｕｒｉｃ...     

Pathomorphology of the Intestinal Mucosa in Diarrheic Calves

The intestinal mucosa was examined in twelve 2–5-week-old calves with a spontaneous intestinal disorder, 8 with diarrhea and 4 convalescents. The calves were fed a defined milk replacer. Light microscopy including morphometry, showed villous atrophy and crypt elongation. Villous epithelial cells had decreased height, and epithelial cells of the posterior small intestine contained an increased amount of fat droplets. Accumulation of neutrophils in crypts was frequent. Scanning electron microscopy revealed blunt villi with increased numbers of necrotic cells in the extrusion zone at the tips of the villi. The convalescents had generally milder changes, particularly in the anterior small intestine. The probable etiological factors included a rotavirus and chlamydial infection, and it is concluded that these agents together with other possible noxious influences were responsible for the increased necrobiosis of apical senescent villous epithelial cells, resulting in villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia.     

The effects of enteral ghrelin administration on the remodeling of the small intestinal mucosa in neonatal piglets

Ghrelin is a multifunctional peptide produced predominantly in the stomach, however substantial amounts have also been found in colostrum and milk. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of exogenous ghrelin, administered intra-gastrically, on the processes of mitosis, apoptosis, autophagy, crypt fission and changes in histometry of the small intestine mucosa in neonatal pigs, fed with a milk formula. Three groups (n=6) of piglets were used in the study. The pigs were fed either milk formula (C7) or milk formula together with ghrelin, administered via a stomach tube (7.5 μg/kg body weight (BW), (LG)) and 15 μg/kg BW (HG), every 8h for 6 days. Compared to the control group (C7), feeding milk formula supplemented with ghrelin resulted in significant changes in the small intestinal morphometry and mucosa histometry. The observed changes were dependent on the dosage of hormone and the part of intestine investigated. Administration of ghrelin via the stomach tube (HG) significantly influenced epithelial cell renewal. Moreover, we demonstrated that autophagy is involved in the small intestine mucosa remodeling and ghrelin may be an important factor for its regulation. In conclusion, we found that enteral ghrelin influences the gut mucosa remodeling in a dose-related manner in the early postnatal period. Moreover in neonates, stomach activity does not interfere with the action of ghrelin in the small intestine.     

Impact of diet composition on ileal digestibility and small intestinal morphology in early-weaned pigs fitted with a T-cannula

Piglets, separated from their dam at 12 days of age and fed a milk substitute hourly, were used as a model for suckling. Animals were fitted with a terminal ileal T-cannula and a jugular vein catheter. At 28 days of age, half of the pigs had a dietary change to a cereal-based weaner diet fed as slurry, and the others remained on milk substitute. Animals were labelled by oral administration of 15N-labelled yeast for 10 days (days 15 to 25). Blood samples were taken twice a day to monitor 15N enrichment of the blood plasma. Diets included polyethylenglycol (PEG 4000) to allow calculation of apparent ileal digestibility of nitrogen and individual amino acids. Ileal bacterial nitrogen was calculated from D-alanine content of the digesta. Furthermore, small intestinal (SI) villus height and crypt depth were measured. Feed intake was increased by the dietary change. The total nitrogen flow was 3.2 ± 0.4 g/day and 5.9 ± 0.4 for the milk and weaner diet, respectively. Endogenous nitrogen flow at the terminal ileum was similar for both groups (milk diet 2.4 ± 0.4 v. weaner diet 2.2 ± 0.3 g/day), whereas the bacterial nitrogen content (0.08 ± 0.01 g/day milk diet v. 0.15 ± 0.01 g/day weaner diet, P < 0.01) and exogenous nitrogen flow (0.94 ± 0.16 g/day milk diet v. 3.29 ± 0.12 g/day weaner diet, P < 0.001) increased significantly in the weaner-diet group. The ileal apparent digestibility coefficient of protein was 0.81 ± 0.06 and 0.68 ± 0.01 for the milk replacer and the weaner diet, respectively. Morphology measurements made along the SI at 25%, 50% and 75% were similar between piglets fed milk replacer and those fed a cereal-based weaner diet. The only statistical effect (P < 0.01) of dietary change was an increase in crypt depth in the weaner-diet group. In conclusion, pigs, following a dietary change analogous to weaning, lack the capacity to fully digest a standard weaner diet. This may result in an increased nutrient content entering the large intestine and an altered microbiota. In the absence of a period of anorexia, often associated with traditional weaning, we saw no evidence of villous atrophy, but report here a significant crypt hyperplasia, especially at the 75% level, as a result of dietary change.     

Preterm birth makes the immature intestine sensitive to feeding-induced intestinal atrophy

Preterm birth and formula feeding predispose to small intestinal dysfunction, which may lead to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). In piglets, we tested whether the physiological and environmental transitions occurring at birth affect the response of the immature intestine to enteral feeding. Pig fetuses (106 days gestation, term = 115 days) were prepared with esophageal feeding tubes and fed either sow's colostrum (n = 8) or infant formula (n = 7) in utero. After 24 h of oral feeding, the pig fetuses were delivered by cesarean section and their gastrointestinal morphology and function were compared with those of preterm newborn (NB) littermates that were not fed (n = 8) or fed colostrum (n = 7) or formula (n = 13) for 24 h after birth. Before birth, both colostrum and formula feeding resulted in marked increases in intestinal mass, brush-border enzyme activities, and plasma glucagon-like peptide 2 concentrations, to levels similar to those in NB colostrum-fed piglets. In contrast, NB formula-fed piglets showed reduced intestinal growth, decreased brush-border enzyme activities, and intestinal lesions, reflecting NEC. NB formula-fed pigs also showed impaired enterocyte endocytotic function and decreased antioxidative capacity, whereas brush-border enzyme mRNA levels were unaltered, relative to NB colostrum-fed pigs. Our results indicate that the feeding-induced growth and enzyme maturation of the immature intestine are not birth dependent. However, with a suboptimal diet (milk formula), factors related to preterm birth (e.g., microbial colonization and metabolic and endocrine changes) make the immature intestine sensitive to atrophy and development of NEC.     

Intestinal development and growth performance of early-weaned piglets fed a low-threonine diet

High dietary threonine extraction by the digestive tract suggests that threonine contributes to maintain gut integrity. The aims of this study were to investigate the intestine development and the growth performance of early-weaned piglets pair-fed either a control well-balanced (C: 9.3 g threonine/kg diet) or a low-threonine diet (LT: 6.5 g threonine/kg diet) for 2 weeks. As expected, LT piglets presented lower plasma free threonine compared with C piglets (118 v. 356 ± 12 μmol/l, P < 0.001). Dietary threonine supply altered neither growth performance nor growth of the intestine and of the other portal-drained viscera (stomach, spleen and pancreas). Nevertheless, villus height was reduced in the ileum of the LT piglets compared with C piglets (446 v. 714 ± 74 μm, P < 0.05). This was also associated with a decrease in crypt width (P < 0.05) and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (P < 0.05). Whereas maltase and lactase activities did not change between the two groups, aminopeptidase nitrogen activity was decreased in the ileum of LT piglets (269 v. 374 ± 27 IU/mg protein, P < 0.05). The number of mucin-containing goblet cells was not modified in the ileum and in the proximal part of the large intestine of the LT piglets compared with the C piglets. In conclusion, despite no alteration of intestinal growth, villus hypotrophy associated with a reduction of aminopeptidase nitrogen activity suggest an alteration of the structure of the ileum in early-weaned piglets fed a diet supplying inadequate dietary threonine.     

Effect of animal plasma proteins on intestinal damage and recovery of neonatal pigs infected with rotavirus

Rotaviruses infect and elicit diarrhea in neonates of most mammalian species and cause 800,000 infant deaths a year. We used neonatal piglets to study the effects of dietary animal plasma proteins on intestinal health following rotavirus infection. Plasma protein contains a diverse mixture of functional components with biological activity and improves the health of animals challenged with other diarrhea-causing pathogens. In a 2×2 factorial design, we compared plasma protein- and soy protein-based diets in rotavirus-infected and noninfected piglets to determine if plasma protein reduced acute rotavirus intestinal damage or improved recovery. All infected animals shed rotavirus particles in their feces. Infected, plasma protein-fed piglets maintained growth rates similar to noninfected piglets in the first 3 days of infection; however, soy protein-fed piglets experienced reduced gains. Furthermore, infected, plasma protein-fed piglets showed no clinical signs of diarrhea. Infection reduced intestinal villus height and the villus height/crypt depth ratio by Day 3 of infection; however, reductions were not attenuated with dietary plasma protein. Infected, plasma protein-fed pigs maintained greater intestinal mucosa protein and estimated total lactase activity than infected, soy protein-fed piglets. Plasma proteins contain growth factors that may aid in rate of recovery as well as virus-binding proteins that may reduce infection pressure in the intestine. These data, combined with findings from other studies using plasma proteins in animal models of diarrhea, indicate the potential for using plasma proteins to improve the health of diarrheic neonates.     

Influence of obestatin on the histological development of the small intestine in piglets during the first week of postnatal life

Obestatin is a gastrointestinal peptide having wide-ranging effects on cell proliferation; however, its mechanism of action remains poorly understood. Thus, the aim of the study was to elucidate the effect of exogenous obestatin on the postnatal structural development of the small intestine. Seven-day-old piglets with an average BW of 1.56 ± 0.23 kg were divided into four groups (n = 10) that received intragastrically obestatin (2, 10 or 15 μg/kg BW) or vehicle. After a 6-day experimental period, morphological analysis of gastrointestinal tract and small intestine wall (mitosis and apoptosis indexes, histomorphometry of mucosa and muscularis layers) was performed. The study revealed a seemingly incoherent pattern of the histological structure of the small intestine among the experimental groups, suggesting that the effect of obestatin is both intestinal segment specific and dose dependent. Histomorphometric analysis of the small intestine showed that higher doses of obestatin seem to promote the structural development of the duodenum while simultaneously hindering the maturation of more distal parts of the intestine. Intragastric administration of obestatin increased the crypt mitotic index in all segments of the small intestine with the strongest pro-mitotic activity following the administration of obestatin at a dose of 10 and 15 μg/kg BW. The significant differences in the number of apoptotic cells in the intestinal villi among the groups were observed only in proximal jejunum and ileum. In conclusion, it seems that obestatin shows a broad-spectrum of activity in the gastrointestinal tract of newborn piglets, being able to accelerate its structural development. However, the varied effect depending on the intestinal segment or the concentration of exogenous obestatin causes that further research is needed to clarify the exact mechanism of this phenomenon.     

Growth performance and gut function of piglets weaned at four weeks of age and fed protease-treated soya-bean meal

Two experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of the protease-treatment of soya-bean meal (SBM) on its composition and nutritive value when fed to piglets weaned at 4 weeks of age in cereal-based diets. In experiment 1, two proteases, active at either alkaline (protease P1) or acid pH (protease P2), were compared with alkali or acid treatment alone. In experiment 2, treatment with protease P2 at acid pH was compared with untreated-SBM, acid-treated SBM, a soya protein concentrate or skim milk powder+fishmeal. Protease treatment increased SBM alpha amino nitrogen concentrations and reduced in vitro SBM antigenicity. Protease P1 reduced in vitro antigenicity to a greater extent than protease P2. However, protease P1 hydrolysed SBM polypeptides non-specifically whereas protease P2 preferentially hydrolysed a high molecular weight polypeptide. In experiment 1, piglets (12 diet⁻¹) fed alkali-treated SBM gained more weight than piglets fed acid-treated SBM in the first 7 days after weaning. Protease P1 did not improve live-weight gain compared with alkali-treatment whereas protease P2 did improve live-weight gain compared with acid treatment. In experiment 2, piglets (24 diet⁻¹) fed protease P2-treated SBM or skim milk powder+fishmeal gained significantly more weight over the first 7 days post-weaning than piglets fed untreated SBM. In neither experiment were there significant differences between diets in piglet serum anti-SBM specific antibodies. There were no consistent changes in small intestine enzyme specific activities in response to the diets fed. Histopathological examination of the small intestine of piglets in experiment 2 revealed no evidence of enteric disease. Neither were there any differences between diets in villus height or crypt depth.     

Dose-dependent effects of two inulin types differing in chain length on the small intestinal morphology,contractility and proinflammatory cytokine gene expression in piglets

ABSTRACT

Inulin is a linear fructose polymer which may affect small intestinal physiology. The effects of dietary level of two inulin types on morphology, contractility and proinflammatory cytokine gene expression in the small intestine of piglets were investigated. Fifty six piglets were divided into seven groups fed diets without inulin addition or with 1%, 2% or 3% of inulin with an average degree of polymerisation of 10 (IN10) or 23 (IN23). All diets were offered from day 10 of life for 40 d. Feeding IN10 diets did not affect villous height to crypt depth ratio in the duodenum, while in the jejunum the 2% IN10 diet increased it as compared to other groups. Jejunal muscle contractions induced by electrical field stimulation were impaired by the 2% and 3% IN10 diets. The ileal expression of interleukin-12p40 was decreased by the 2% IN10 diet. There was no effect of IN23 level on villous height to crypt depth ratio in any segment of the small intestine as well as on jejunal motility. The 2% and 3% IN23 diets decreased the jejunal expression of tumour necrosis factor-α. In conclusion, IN10 is more active in the small intestine than IN23. At the 2% dietary level, it increases absorptive area in the jejunum, but may slightly impair smooth muscle contractions.