Humans have intestinal bacteria that degrade the plant cell walls in herbivores.
Abstract: The cell walls of plants are mainly made of cellulose and contain a large number of calories. However, the main component, cellulose, is an indigestible plant fiber that is thought to be difficult for humans to use as energy. Herbivores acquire energy through the degradation of cell wall-derived dietary fiber by microorganisms in the digestive tract. Herbivores, especially horses, have a highly developed cecum and large intestine, and plants are fermented for their efficient use with the help of microorganisms. Humans also have an intestinal tract with a wide lumen on the proximal side of the large intestine, in which fermentation occurs. The digestive process of horses is similar to that of humans, and many of the intestinal bacteria found in horses that degrade plants are also found in humans. Therefore, it is thought that humans also obtain a certain amount of energy from cell wall-derived dietary fiber. However, the intake of dietary fiber by modern humans is low; thus, the amount of calories derived from indigestible plant fiber is considered to be very low. Cellulose in the plant cell wall is often accompanied by hemicellulose, pectin, lignin, suberin, and other materials. These materials are hard to degrade, and cellulose is therefore difficult for animals to utilize. If the cell wall can be degraded to some extent by cooking, it is thought that humans can obtain calories from cell wall-derived dietary fiber. If humans can use the calories from the cell wall for their diet, it may compensate for human food shortages.
©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2021-12-30 PubMed ID: 34963741PubMed Central: PMC8661373DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i45.7784Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research article focuses on the premise that humans possess intestinal bacteria similar to that in herbivores, which helps in breaking down plant cell wall components, potentially providing an alternative energy source for humans.
Composition of Plant Cell Wall and Its Potential Digestibility
- The article starts by presenting the fact that plant cell walls, rich in cellulose, are packed with calories. Cellulose, however, is an indigestible plant fiber which humans are traditionally thought to be unable to break down for energy conversion.
- The composition of the plant cell wall is complex, involving not just cellulose but also hemicellulose, pectin, lignin, and suberin. These substances considerably harden the cell wall and make the plant material difficult to degrade and its nutrients difficult to extract.
Comparison of Human and Herbivore Digestive Systems
- The research draws a noteworthy comparison between the digestive systems of horses (and other herbivores) and humans. It states that herbivores obtain energy by breaking down plant cell walls with the help of microorganisms present in their digestive tract.
- Horses, in particular, have a unique digestive structure with a well-developed cecum and large intestine where fermentation, a procedure that efficiently breaks down plant material, takes place.
- Interestingly, humans also have a similar area in their large intestine where fermentation occurs, suggesting a theoretical capability for the breakdown of plant cell walls.
Microbiotic Ecosystem and Energy Acquisition
- The researchers report a crucial observation that many intestinal bacteria that aid in the degradation of plant material in horses and other herbivores also exist in humans. This raises the possibility that humans might also obtain energy from plant cell wall-derived dietary fiber.
- However, the dietary fiber intake by modern-day humans is considerably low, meaning that the caloric value derived from these indigestible plant fibers is currently very minimal.
- If plant cell walls can be considerably broken down, either naturally or with the help of cooking, humans might be able to use the derived energy, presenting an alternative source of calories that might help in mitigating food shortages.
Cite This Article
APA
Fujimori S.
(2021).
Humans have intestinal bacteria that degrade the plant cell walls in herbivores.
World J Gastroenterol, 27(45), 7784-7791.
https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v27.i45.7784 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Gastroenterology, Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Nippon Medical School, Chiba 270-1694, Japan. s-fujimori@nms.ac.jp.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bacteria
- Cell Wall
- Cellulose
- Dietary Fiber
- Herbivory
- Horses
- Humans
Conflict of Interest Statement
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author declares no conflict of interest.
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Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Shi R, Pang C, Wu X, Zhao X, Chen F, Zhang W, Sun C, Fu S, Hu M, Zhang J, Wang X. Genetic Dissection and Germplasm Selection of the Low Crude Fiber Component in Brassica napus L. Shoots.. Foods 2023 Jan 14;12(2).
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