28 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 440 



igms whose presence creates an unfavorable medium for other types of 

 bacteria. 

 5. Increased calcium excretion through the mucosa. The increased calcium 

 may inhibit intestinal inflammation and detoxicate amines and phenols 

 by salt formation. 



In order to study the beneficial action of fruit diets for intestinal disorders, 

 Esselen (1937) investigated the effect of cranberry, blueberry, and apple diets on 

 the intestinal bacterial flora, intestinal putrefaction, and intestinal acidity of the 

 albino rat. A 20 percent cranberry diet was found effective in reducing the num- 

 bers of fecal gas-producing and Escherichia coli bacteria. There was also evidence 

 that 20 percent apple, blueberry, and cranberry diets materially decreased in- 

 testinal putrefaction. A study of the hydrogen-ion concentrations of the in- 

 testinal contents showed that diets of 10 and 20 percent raw cranberry and of 

 100 percent raw apple significantly increased the acidity of the contents ot the 

 cecum and large intestine. 



Manville and Sullivan (1940) found that the feeding of a dehydrated apple 

 supplement to rabbits increased the hydrogen-ion concentration of the intestinal 

 contents and changed the intestinal flora from one in which Escherichia coli pre- 

 dominated to one in which the acidophilic type of organisms was dominant. 



Bergeim, Hanszen and Arnold (1936) referred to the presence of definite com- 

 munities of bacterial life residing within the lumen of the alimentary canal. 

 A fruit meal of apple or banana was found to bring about a condition in the 

 stomach and intestine that is inimical to the presence of bacteria. Feeding the 

 pulp of one apple, or 70 grams of dried banana to human subjects, prior to the 

 introduction into the stomach of a large number of bacteria, caused a condition 

 in the intestine that resulted in the destruction of all, or nearly all, of the organ- 

 isms ingested. The Escherichia coli were also greatly reduced in the subjects fed 

 fruit pre-meals. The meal of fruit, aside from its acid content was considered to 

 be inimical to bacteria because of the butyric acid derived from it. The authors 

 stated further that a fruit pre-meal also reduces the irritating properties of foods 

 to which an individual may be sensitive. 



The use of apple powder in the treatment of diarrhea has been reviewed in 

 some detail by Manville, Bradway, and McMinis (1936b, 1937), and the history 

 of the apple in ancient and modern nutrition has been described by Manville 

 (1936a). 



Kertesz, Walker and McCay (1941) observed the effect of feeding applesauce 

 on induced diarrhea in rats in order to determine further how an apple diet acts 

 in this respect. The feeding of commercial canned applesauce resulted in a rapid 

 curing of diarrhea. The experimental results confirmed the opinion held by many 

 investigators that pectin is an effective constituent of the apple diet; but, con- 

 trary to the opinion of some investigators, it appeared that pectins were not the 

 sole agents in the apple responsible for the curative efTect. It was pointed out 

 that, while the important role of the "fiber" content of various foods has often 

 been emphasized and in turn also enlisted as a possible active principle in the 

 apple diet, this was the first case where its important role in curing diarrhea had 

 been demonstrated. An evaluation of the results indicated that the curative 

 effect of the applesauce depended on the pectins and fibrous materials respon- 

 sible for its colliodal properties. There was no indication that the presence of 

 uronic acids or tannins had any role in curing the induced diarrhea in rats. 



From an investigation of pectin as a detoxication mechanism in the body, 

 Manville, Bradway, and McMinis (1936a) demonstrated that galacturonic acid 



