The Effects of Dietary Protein Quality and Carbohydrate Quantity on the Activity of Intestinal Disaccharidase in Wistar Rats

Abstract

Intestinal disaccharidase activities were determined in groups of rats fed diets containing (a) 64% carbohydrate/19% protein, (b) 19% carbohydrate/64% protein, and (c) carbohydrate diets containing 19% proteins of different qualities. The intestinal disaccharidase activity was related not only to the quantity of the carbohydrate substrate but also to the quality of the protein in the diet. It is suggested that regular ingestion of a high-carbohydrate poor-quality protein diet will result in both protein and carbohydrate malnutrition.

Key-words:

• Dietary substrate
• intestinal disaccharidase
• protein quality