Abstract
B. acidophilus (Moro) is a common inhabitant of the intestinal tract of the albino rat and of man. Ordinarily it is present in very small numbers, however, and often may escape detection.
Diet exerts a profound influence on the character of the intestinal flora. Lactose and dextrin, when fed in sufficient amounts, bring about a marked transformation in bacterial types. The present investigation has shown, also, that the ingestion of pure cultures or suspensions of B. acidophilus results in a similar change.
The administration of 2 grams of either lactose or dextrin to white rats, in connection with a basal diet of bread and meat, caused within three to six days a complete transformation of the fecal flora from the ordinary mixed type to one strongly dominated by B. acidophilus, while the same amounts of maltose, sucrose and glucose failed to exert any transforming influence. The ingestion of I gram of lactose or dextrin brought about a partial change, whereas the addition of I C.C. (nephelometer 5) of living cultures of B. acidophilus to the I gram of carbohydrate effected a complete simplification of the intestinal flora. Identical results were obtained by the administration of 2 C.C. of the B. acidophilus culture or suspension alone. Post-mortem examinations of the different sections of the alimentary canal of rats harboring a simplified flora of the aciduric type revealed a general distribution of B. acidophilus throughout the length of the intestine.
The implantation of B. bulgaricus was not effected by the ingestion of even 5 C.C. of B. bulgaricus suspension of the same concentration as those of B. acidophilus, either with or without accompanying lactose. However, when B. bulgaricvs and lactose were given simultaneously a transformation of the intestinal flora took place corresponding to that obtained with the feeding of 2 grams of lactose alone.
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