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  • Original Article
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15N-excretion of heat-killed Lactobacillus casei in humans

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 60, pages 847–852 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

In the present study, Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) labelled with 15N was used to follow the metabolic fate of orally administered heat-killed 15N-labelled L. casei (15N-L.casei) in humans.

Design:

Experimental study.

Setting:

University of Rostock, Children's Hospital, Research Laboratory.

Subjects:

Twelve healthy adults aged 23–32 years.

Intervention:

The subjects received 36 mg/kg body weight heat-killed 15N-L.casei and 500 mg Lactose-[13C]ureide together with breakfast. Expired air samples were taken over 14 h, whereas urine and faeces were collected over 2 days. A blood sample was taken after 2 h. 13C- and 15N-enrichments were measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (SerCon, UK).

Results:

The orocaecal transit time (OCTT) was reached after 4.1 h. The urinary 15N-excretion was 9.3% of the ingested dose, whereas the faecal excretion was 65.1% of the ingested dose. After 2 h, 15N-enrichment of supernatant, fibrinogen, and plasma protein precipitate amounted to 254, 11, and 2 p.p.m. excess, respectively.

Conclusions:

In comparison to the OCTT of 4.1 h, 15N-enrichment in urinary ammonia and urinary total nitrogen already began to rise 30 min after 15N-L.casei ingestion, indicating that 15N-L.casei is rapidly digested in the small bowel. This is confirmed by 15N-enrichments of blood plasma fractions. The ingestion of heat-killed 15N-L.casei led to a total excretion of 74.4% of the ingested 15N-dose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Children's Hospital, Research Laboratory, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany

    K D Wutzke & V Sattinger

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  1. K D Wutzke
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  2. V Sattinger
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Correspondence to K D Wutzke.

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Guarantor: KD Wutzke.

Contributors: VS was principal investigator and doctoral candidate of KDW.

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Wutzke, K., Sattinger, V. 15N-excretion of heat-killed Lactobacillus casei in humans. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 847–852 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602389

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