Gnotobiotes in nutritional studies

Studies with gnotobiotic animals have demonstrated extensive synthesis of vitamins, involvement in the metabolism of nitrogenous compounds and modification of lipids among the activities of the conventional microflora. The extent to which they affect the host depends on factors such as the structure of the gut, the position of the sites of bacterial proliferation and the host's nutritional status. Thus the findings in experimental animals may not always be applicable to man. Results so far indicate that in circumstances of dietary inadequacy bacterial activity may be detrimental or beneficial. However, these effects are small, and it seems reasonable to conclude that the influence of the indigenous microflora on the host's nutrition is of relatively minor importance compared with its role as a barrier against invasion by undesirable organisms.