1998 Volume 2 Issue 1 Pages 37-47
Effects of ingestion of LS-cookies containing galactosylsucrose (LS) were investigated on defecation, fecal condition and microflora in 19 healthy female students, and compared with those of placebo cookies or non-ingestion of any cookies. The subjects were given four pieces of placebo cookies (total 48g, without LS) daily for one week (control phase), and not fed any cookies for next one week (blank phase). Then they were given four pieces of LS-cookies (total 48g, LS 4g) daily for two weeks. The fecal microflora were analyzed on the samples of 10 subjects who were randomly selected from 19 subjects. The number of days with defecation per week was significantly increased by the ingestion of LS-cookies as compared with the ingestion of placebo cookies in the group (n=9) with the slight constipation (p<0.05). The effect of LS-cookies ingestion on defecation became remarkable in comparison with that of blank phase (p<0.05). Furthermore, the number of days with defecation per week in all subjects was significantly increased by the ingestion of LS-cookies as compared with the blank phase (p<0.05), although the significant effect was not expressed in comparison with the control phase. Fecal conditions such as volume, color, shape and hardness feeling were significantly improved by the ingestion of LS-cookies as compared with those of placebo cookies (p<0.05) and the non-ingestion (p<0.05). The ratio of beneficial microbes, Bifidobacteria, to anaerobes was increased from 22.3% to 31% and the ratio of harmful microbes, Bacteroidaceae, was decreased from 42.6% to 32.2% by LS-cookies ingestion, respectively. These results demonstrate that the ingestion of cookies (48g) containing galactosylsucrose (4g) increases the day with defecation per week, improves fecal condition such as volume, color, shape and hardness feeling and promotes the proliferation of beneficial intestinal microbes in adolescent females, in particular with slight constipation.
