[Effect of gum guar diet on feces microbiology in rats]

Approximately 8--10 days after gum guar was added to the diet of rats, the total bacterial counts in their feces, in particular Clostridium and Lactobacillus, were increased, whereas the number of coliforms was reduced. In contrast to the long, slender, rod-shaped cells in the Gram-stained fecal smears of the control animals, the feces of the gum guar-fed animals showed a predominance of short, broad, Gram-positive rods. When gum guar was omitted from the diet of these animals, their feces could not be distinguished from those of control animals.