Intestinal disaccharides in five species of phyllostomoid bats

A. Hernandez, C. Martinez del Rio

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

1. 1. Intestinal disaccharidases were studied in nectarivorous (Leptonycteris curasoae and Glossophaga soricina), frugivorous (Artibeus jamaicensis and Sturnira lilium), and insectivorous (Pteronotus personatus) adult bats. 2. 2. Adult bats lacked measurable lactase activity. With the exception of trehalase activity, which was present only in P. personatus, nectar- and fruit-eating bats exhibited higher disaccharidase activities standardized by intestinal nominal area than insect-eating P. personatus. 3. 3. Maltase and sucrase activities were significantly linearly correlated. 4. 4. Apparent affinity of sucrase varied almost 5-fold among species. This variation may reflect unstirred layer effects resulting from sucrase being a membrane bound enzyme rather than differences in the "true" affinity of sucrase in solution. 5. 5. Passerine birds showed higher maltase activity per unit of sucrase activity than bats and hummingbirds. Maximal sucrase and maltase activities standardized per intestinal nominal area are 1.5-2 times higher in hummingbirds than in nectar-feeding bats.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)105-111
Number of pages7
JournalComparative Biochemistry and Physiology -- Part B: Biochemistry and
Volume103
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1992
Externally publishedYes

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