Effects of pectin on jejunal and ileal morphology and ultrastructure in adult mice.

ABSTRACT

The effects of pectin on jejunal and ileal morphology and ultrastructure were studied using adult male mice fed a semisynthetic diet containing 8% (w/w) cellulose or pectin for 30 days. No significant differences in the jejunal villus height between the 2 groups were found, but the jejunal crypt depth, and both the ileal villus height and crypt depth of the mice fed the pectin diet were significantly greater than those of the mice fed the cellulose diet. There were evident ultrastructural differences in the jejunal absorptive cells between 2 dietary groups numerous intercellular spaces were observed in the jejunal absorptive cells of the mice fed the pectin diet, but not the cellulose diet. Moreover, the ileal absorptive cells of the mice fed the pectin diet contained numerous peroxisomes, whereas there were few in these cells of mice fed the cellulose diet. The functional characteristics of the ileum of the mice fed the pectin diet might be different from those fed the cellulose diet.