Soy and fermented soy are popular and recognized as a health food among Koreans. Since soy proteins are known to be protease resistant, even to pepsin and pancreatin, it is hypothesized that soy proteins may interact with the intestinal tract and trigger certain physiological reactions. To test this hypothesis, mice were fed diets supplemented with soy, Chunkukjang, or casein. The differentially expressed proteins were analyzed using 2-D gels and identified by peptide mass fingerprinting using mass spectrometry. The majority of the differentially expressed proteins could be functionally grouped into metabolic enzymes and calcium-binding proteins. The differential protein expression by the soy-fed groups was also verified based on a representative protein, tropomyosin, using a Western blotting analysis. In addition, the soy-fed groups exhibited a taller villi structure. Therefore, this study suggests that soy proteins can be an effective nutrient and physiological stimulant for the intestines.

Male weanling Sprague Dawley rats were used to evaluate the effect of dietary rice starch with different particle size on growth performance, intestinal function and proliferation. There were two dietary treatment: rice starch (RS), ultra finely pulverized rice starch with less than 15μm size (PRS). They were eight rats per treatment. In vitro digestibility, body weight change and organs weight were evaluated. Serum GPT, GOT and blood urea nitrogen were analyzed. Transit time, short chain fatty acid contents of cecum, and cell proliferation of duodenum and jejunum were measured. In vitro digestibility of PRS was higher than that of RS. Rats fed ultra finely pulverized rice starch for 3 weeks grew faster than rats fed rice starch. PRS group has higher weights of liver, kidney, spleen and epididymal fat pad, perhaps as a result of increased digestibility. GPT and GOT were not different between two groups. Blood urea nitrogen was higher in RS-fed rats than that of PRS-fed rats. Feeding ultra finely pulverized rice starch resulted in a proliferation of duodenum significantly. These results suggest that ultra finely pulverized rice starch increases the growth performance in weanling animals with reduced number of cells in the cell cycle of small intestine.