Where is fiber fermented in the pig digestive tract?

Fiber is increasingly being added to pig diets, but digestion of fiber in pigs is inefficient and poorly understood. In a new study from the University of Illinois, scientists pinpoint the locations within the digestive tract ...

Gut microbiota regulates antioxidant metabolism

A recently published study shows that gut microbiota regulates the glutathione and amino acid metabolism of the host. Glutathione is a key antioxidant, found in every cell in our body. Deficiency of glutathione contributes ...

MicroRNAs are digested, not absorbed

There has been a lot of controversy in recent years over the issue of whether exogenous microRNA molecules can be absorbed from food and even have a physiological effect. A new study by ETH professor Markus Stoffel using ...

How the Burmese python grows and shrinks after it eats

The Burmese python's body undergoes massive reconstruction followed by complete deconstruction every time it eats. Within three days of eating, its organs expand up to double in size and its metabolism and digestive processes ...

How E. coli passes safely through stomach acid

In some parts of the world, many small children become infected with severe diarrhea which often proves fatal. The condition is usually caused by strains of Escherichia coli (commonly known as E. coli) bacteria, and bacteria ...

page 4 from 7