EFFECT OF SULFITE INTAKE ON INTESTINAL ENZYME-ACTIVITY IN RATS

Sulfites are usually added to food, beverages and pharmaceuticals as P reservative antioxidants, bleaching agents, and dough conditioning age nts. Ingestion of foods containing sulfites can cause abdominal pain d iarrhoea components and and death. Sulfite can react with cellular com ponents and can cause toxicity. Changes in mucosal components and phos phatase alkaline after sodium metabisulfite administration were invest igated in the small intestine of rats. Female Wistar rats were given a diet supplemented with 0.25 or 2.5% sodium metabisulfite for 5 weeks. Sucrase, maltase, lactase and alkaline phosphatase were assayed in in testinal homogenates and in brush border membrane fractions The intake of only 2.5% sulfite induced an increase in the specific activities o f sucrase, maltase, and alkaline phosphatase compared to control level s (P < 0.05). Lactase levels were affected in a variable manner. The o rigin of such altered enzyme activities is still unknown.