• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.389-396
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• 2016

This study examined the improving effect of DFA IV obtained from bacterial fermentation on the gut health. The effects of the dietary DFA IV on the intestinal mass, short chain fatty acids production and pH were evaluated in vivo. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed the 0% (control) or 1% DFA IV supplemented diets for 3 weeks. Supplementation of DFA IV resulted in a significant increase in cecal tissue and wall weights. Together with the lowering of the cecal and colonic pH, the amount of acetate and butyrate increased by 1.6 and 3.2 fold of the control group in the cecum, respectively, in the rats fed DFA IV diets. The DFA IV diet also significantly increased the cecal lactate 1.5 fold compared to the control diet, indicating that dietary DFA IV stimulated the growth of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria in the intestine. Based on the above results, it is concluded that the dietary DFA IV may be used as a putative prebiotic supplement.