Abstract
The effect of a dried yeast diet on bacterial metabolism in the intestine was studied in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a purified control or a 20% dried yeast diet for 3 weeks. The concentrations of organic acids (formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, n-butyric acid, iso-butyric acid, n-valeric acid, iso-valeric acid, malic acid, succinic acid and lactic acid) in feces were significantly increased in rats fed the 20% dried yeast diet in comparison with those fed the control diet. The increases in the concentrations of acetic acid and lactic acid were particularly noticeable. The cecum weight in rats fed the 20% dried yeast diet was approximately twice that in rat fed the control diet. The pH of the cecal contents was significantly decreased according to the concentration of organic acids produced by cecal bacteria in rats fed the 20% dried yeast diet. These results indicate that dried yeast is effective for improving intestinal conditions.
