Distribution of lysozyme in guinea pigs: Implications for the function of gastrointestinal lysozyme in herbivores

Summary High levels of gastrointestinal lysozyme were present in the stomach of guinea pigs, but not in other portions of the gastrointestinal tract. Because the cecum is the fermentation organ of guinea pigs, these observations call into question the validity of the current hypothesis that the gastrointestinal lysozyme of herbivores functions in the digestion of bacteria from the anterior fermentation organ.Supported in part by grants RR00515 and RR05465 from the National Institutes of Health.