DIETARY INFLUENCE ON SOME PROPOSED RISK-FACTORS FOR COLON-CANCER - FECAL AND URINARY MUTAGENIC ACTIVITY AND THE ACTIVITY OF SOME INTESTINALBACTERIAL ENZYMES

This investigation studied the effects of a shift from a well-balanced mixed diet to a lactovegetarian diet on the mutagenic activity in uri ne and feces and on some cancer-associated bacterial enzymes in human feces (beta-glucuronidase, beta-glucosidase, and sulphatase). Three mo nths after the shift to the lactovegetarian diet, there was a signific ant decrease in mutagenic activity in urine and feces, beta-glucuronid ase, beta-glucosidase, and sulphatase per gram feces wet weight. In co ntrast, the fecal mutagenic activity and the enzyme activities remaine d unchanged if expressed per daily output. However, the urinary mutage nic activity expressed as total daily output decreased. Part of the ex planation for the decreased fecal mutagenic activity and the decreased enzyme activities is obviously a dilution effect, because much of the increased fecal weight after the shift in diet was associated with a higher water content.