The effect of isomalto-oligosaccharides on human fecal flora was studied. Bifidobacteria and the Bacteroides fragilis group from human intestine could utilize isomalto-oligosaccharides but Escherichia coli and other bacteria could not. After the administration of isomaltooligosaccharides (13.5 g daily for 2 weeks) to healthy adult men and senile persons, the numbers of bifidobacteria in the feces increased. The consistency of feces was improved. These studies may support the usefulness of isomalto-oligosaccharides as components of new healthy foodstuffs for the improvement of the intestinal flora.

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The number of intestinal Candida was correlated with the incidence of Candida infection. The number of intestinal Candida was higher in patients receiving antileukemic chemotherapy than in normal subjects. Respiratory and urinary infections were increased in patients with more than 10⁵ Candida/g feces. Bifidobacterium administered orally to patients with more than 10⁵ Candida/g feces, reduced the incidence of infection if the intestinal Candida population fell to less than 10⁴/g feces.

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Effects of two α-glucosidase inhibitors, Acarbose and BAY-m-1099, on the intestinal microflora, cecal weight, cecal ammonia concentration, cecal pH, body-weight gains, and levels of serum cholesterol and lipids of Fischer male rats were determined. The cecal microflora of rats fed Acarbose-supplemented diets showed a reduction of Enterobacteriaceae and increases of lecithinase-negative Clostridium spp. and Peptostreptococcus spp. by feeding day (FD) 14. By FD 28, the numbers of Bifidobacterium spp. in the Acarbose groups were higher than those in the control and BAY-m-1099 groups. Increasing numbers of Staphylococcus spp. were observed in the cecum of rats fed Acarbose (the volume of intake, 40 mg/100 g of feed)- and BAY-m- 1099-supplemented diets. The weight of cecum in the Acarbose groups was significantly increased when compared with those in the other groups. The ammonia concentration and pH values in the cecum of rats fed Acarbose diets were significantly lower than those in the other groups. The body-weight gains in the Acarbose groups by FD 28 were significantly lower than those in the BAY-m-1099 and control groups. Significantly decreased levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids were observed in the Acarbose groups by FD 28. These findings indicated that inhibition of sugar absorption in the small intestine of rats influenced the composition of intestinal microflora, body-weight gains, differences in cecal weight, cecal pH, and cecal ammonia concetration, bodyweight gains, and the levels of serum cholesterol and lipids

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A specific and sensitive method was established for the determination of nitrite in biological materials. In the first step, nitrite is converted with diethylamine into N-nitrosodiethylamine by the N-nitrosation reaction under acidic condition. In the second step, the N-nitrosodiethylamine is determined by gas-liquid chromatography connected to a thermal energy analyzer (GC-TEA). This method is effective and practical.

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