Effects of malnutrition on the digestive enzymes of the large bowel of young rhesus monkeys.

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of mild-to-moderate protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) and rehabilitation on the digestive enzymes of the large bowel in young rhesus monkeys. The presence of these enzymes has already been reported in the large bowel by many authors. The activities of the digestive enzymes, i.e. lactase, sucrase, maltase, trehalase, glucoamylase, leucine aminopeptidase, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, from different parts of the large bowel were determined in 6 controls, 6 PEM and 6 rehabilitated young rhesus monkeys. These monkeys had been used to study the effect of malnutrition on the small intestine and the results have already been published. There was a significant decrease in the sucrase in the ascending colon (p < 0.05); maltase in all the parts of the large bowel (p < 0.05); and glucoamylase activities (p < 0.05) in the caecum segment of the large bowel in the PEM group. The activity of other enzymes, i.e. lactase, trehalase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and leucine aminopeptidase, was unaffected in the PEM group. The changes in the enzyme activities recovered on rehabilitation of 21 weeks. The result of this study suggest that even mild-to-moderate malnutrition affects the enzyme activity of the large bowel, which recovers on rehabilitation.