Activity of Digestive Enzymes in Small Intestine in Rat Pups Whose Mothers Were Kept on Low-Protein Diet during Pregnancy and Lactation

Nutrition of mother and offspring plays an important role in formation of enzyme spectrum in small intestine of developing organism. We have obtained different results with respect to effects of protein deficit in maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation on formation of different enzyme systems in offspring, which provide membrane and intracellular digestion. In some cases, the maximal changes of enzyme activities were found in the rat pups kept on a low-protein diet during the embryonic development (saccharase, dipeptidase), in other cases, in the rat pups on such nutrition at the period of early postnatal development (alkaline phosphatase). In the third case, the changes were practically the same for the both groups of animals (maltase).