Transit of radical scavenging activity of milk products prepared by Maillard reaction and Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota fermentation through thehamster intestine

Oxidative stress in the colon is associated with the incidence of colon can cer. In situ, the suppression of oxidative stress in the colon would be an effective form of prevention of the cancer. In this study we investigated t he transit of the radical scavenging activity of milk products through the hamster intestinal tract. Two types of skim milk products were prepared by Maillard reaction and then lactic acid fermentation. Heat treatment enhance d the radical scavenging activity for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical of skim milk. The activity was further increased by fermentation with Lact obacillus casei strain Shirota. Normal hamsters were fed these milk product s for 14 d. For potential radical scavenging activity per unit dry weight o f feces and cecal content, the groups ranked in the order of fermented prod uct-fed hamsters > heated product-fed hamsters > control hamsters, reflecti ng the order of the potential of the corresponding diets. Approximately 12% of the activity of the heated and the fermented product diets passed throu gh the gastrointestinal tract. These results suggest that some of the radic al scavenging activity generated by food processing reached the colon in no nabsorbable products.