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Home / Equine Research Bank / Gut / Small intestinal beta-galactosidase activity in the horse.
Gut1973; 14(7); 535-540; doi: 10.1136/gut.14.7.535

Small intestinal beta-galactosidase activity in the horse.

Abstract: Two enzymes having lactase activity are present in the equine small intestine. The first, the digestive enzyme, neutral beta-galactosidase, declines in activity from birth to three years, disappearing completely between 3 and 4 years of age. The other, the soluble lysosomal enzyme, acid beta-galactosidase, having affinity for lactose and a synthetic beta-galactoside, shows a decrease in activity in the first three months of life and thereafter varies little in activity and represents the lactase enzyme in the adult horse. This pattern may parallel the development of lactase activity in many other mammals and in the majority of the world's human population.
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Publication Date: 1973-07-01 PubMed ID: 4729920PubMed Central: PMC1412797DOI: 10.1136/gut.14.7.535Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research discusses two enzymes in horses that have lactase activity, explaining their changes in activity from birth to adulthood, and how they contribute to lactose digestion. It proposes that the change in activity could be similar to human and other mammals’ lactase development.

Discussion of Two Key Enzymes

  • The article conducts a focused examination on two specific digestive enzymes found in the small intestine of horses, both of which exhibit lactase activity. Lactase is the enzyme responsible for breaking down lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products.
  • The first enzyme, neutral beta-galactosidase, is noted for its fluctuating levels of activity in juvenile horses, progressively reducing from birth until the horse reaches three years of age. After this three-year period, the levels of this enzyme appear to diminish completely between the ages of three and four.
  • The second enzyme of note, acid beta-galactosidase, deviates from the pattern of the first. Although this enzyme also shows a decrease in the first three months after birth, its activity levels out and remains relatively constant for the rest of the horse’s life. This enzyme is the primary lactase in adult horses.

Implications and Future Research

  • The researchers suggest that the patterns of lactase activity found in horses parallel those observed in many other mammals, including a significant portion of the human population worldwide. This hints at potential genetic and evolutionary commonalities between different species in regulating lactose tolerance.
  • Future research could expand upon this initial observation in horses to further probe the mechanisms behind the enzymes’ activity changes. This could help improve lactase-related therapeutics for both animals and humans. Additionally, a deeper understanding of lactose intolerance in mammals may emerge from more focused studies on the topic.

Cite This Article

APA
Roberts MC, Kidder DE, Hill FW. (1973). Small intestinal beta-galactosidase activity in the horse. Gut, 14(7), 535-540. https://doi.org/10.1136/gut.14.7.535

Publication

Gut
ISSN: 0017-5749
NlmUniqueID: 2985108R
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 7
Pages: 535-540

Researcher Affiliations

Roberts, M C
    Kidder, D E
      Hill, F W

        MeSH Terms

        • Age Factors
        • Animals
        • Chloromercuribenzoates / pharmacology
        • Fetus / enzymology
        • Galactosidases / antagonists & inhibitors
        • Galactosidases / metabolism
        • Horses / metabolism
        • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
        • Ileum / enzymology
        • Intestinal Mucosa / enzymology
        • Intestine, Small / enzymology
        • Jejunum / enzymology
        • Lactose / metabolism
        • Ultracentrifugation

        References

        This article includes 16 references
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        Citations

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