Protein-degradation products and bacterial enzyme activities in faeces of breast-fed and formula-fed infants

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of age and diet (breast milk, formula milk and weaning diet) on metabolic activities in faecal samples from infants aged 1 week to 1 year, and to compare these findings with activities found in samples from adults. Such activities can provide...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of nutrition 2003-04, Vol.89 (4), p.509-515
Main Authors: Heavey, Patricia M., Savage, Shirley-Anne H., Parrett, Alison, Cecchini, Cinzia, Edwards, Christine A., Rowland, Ian R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Ammonia
Ammonia - analysis
Analysis of Variance
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Bacteria
Bacterial protein-degradation products
beta-Glucosidase - analysis
Biological and medical sciences
Bottle Feeding
Breast Feeding
Breast milk
Cresols - analysis
Degradation products
Dietary Proteins - metabolism
Enzymatic activity
Enzyme activity
Faecal samples
Feces - chemistry
Feces - enzymology
Feces - microbiology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Glucuronidase - analysis
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Infant
Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Infant, Newborn
Infants
Male
Microbial ecology
Normal microflora of man and animals. Rumen
Phenol - analysis
Phenols
Weaning
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Summary:The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of age and diet (breast milk, formula milk and weaning diet) on metabolic activities in faecal samples from infants aged 1 week to 1 year, and to compare these findings with activities found in samples from adults. Such activities can provide valuable information on functional changes in the microbiota that may have significance for the health of the host. Fresh faecal samples were collected from forty-four breast-fed infants (twenty-four males, twenty females) and thirteen formula-fed infants (three males, ten females) throughout the first year of life. The samples were analysed for protein-breakdown products, including the faecal concentrations of NH3, phenol and p-cresol, and faecal bacterial enzyme activities. There was wide individual variation in all variables measured; however, the values in infants were substantially lower then those found in adults. In pre-weaned infants, faecal NH3 concentration and β-glucuronidase activity were the only endpoints that were significantly different in breast-fed and formula-fed infants (P
ISSN:0007-1145
1475-2662
DOI:10.1079/BJN2002814