Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Analyzing Beneficial Effects of Nutritional Supplements on Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Functions During Experimental Colitis
Published on: January 5, 2017
Abstract:
The role of enzyme estimations is reviewed. Serum levels of most enzymes do not alter significantly in intestinal diseases because dying mucosal cells slough off into the lumen. Similarly, biopsy material may provide misleading results because of lack of homogeneity between diseased and normal segments of bowel, whether in inflammatory or neoplastic conditions. Lactase deficiency is the most common intestinal enzyme deficiency. The once popular lactose tolerance test is lately giving way to the breath hydrogen test, which generally reflects unabsorbed carbohydrate reaching the colon. This test and its clinical usefulness are reviewed in some detail, and the use of lactulose as an indicator of intestinal transit is also discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Anatomy of the Intestines
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the small...
Histology of the Small Intestine
The intestinal lining features transverse folds called circular folds, each housing fingerlike projections known as intestinal villi. These villi are covered by a layer of simple columnar epithelium, also referred to as...
Physiology of the Gastrointestinal System II: Digestion and Absorption
Digestion begins in the mouth, where food undergoes mechanical breakdown by chewing and combines with saliva. Salivary amylase, an enzyme in saliva, starts the breakdown of starches into maltose. The food then travels down the esophagus to the stomach.
In the stomach, a...
Dysbiosis of the Gut Microbiota
Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Crohn's Disease

