[Acid oligosaccharides as the active principle of aqueous carrot extracts for prevention and therapy of gastrointestinal infections].

Adherence of microorganisms to the intestinal mucosa is an important and initial step in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal infections and mediated by carbohydrate structures on the cell surface. Adherence can be blocked by carbohydrate receptor analogues. Aqueous extracts from carrots (carrot soup) contain acidic oligosaccharides, which are able to block adherence of various enteropathogenic microorganisms to HEp-2 cells and human intestinal mucosa in vitro. Dependent on the grade of polymerisation the most potent blocking ability was seen for trigalacturonic acid. Clinical studies revealed, that aqueous carrot extracts are significantly superior to the basic glucose-electrolyt-solution for oral rehydration in acute gastrointestional infections of children.