EFFECT OF OLIGOSACCHARIDES ON INTESTINAL MICROFLORAL POPULATION IN RATS FED PROCESSED COWPEA DIETS

Abstract

Autoclaved, cooked, germinated and soaked cowpea diets fed to adult-male rats of the
wistar strain for three weeks, gave average intestinal microflora population of 9.41, 7.50,
0.32 and 17.55 x lO7/g cecal content respectively. Oligosaccharide content and microbial
population in autoclaved, cooked, germinated and soaked cawpea seeds had correIation
coefficient values of 0.56,0.57,0.91 and 0.27 respectively. Germinated seeds gave the Ieast
microflora population due to starvation of the microbes because of low oligosaccharide
contents. The reverse was the case for soaked seeds.