Maternal consumption of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v affects gastrointestinal growth and function in the suckling rat.
After birth, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract undergoes vast structural and functional adaptations to be able to digest mother's milk and later, during the weaning period, solid food. Studies on germ-free animals have shown the role of the gut microbiota for stimulating GI maturation, but which groups are involved is unclear. In the present study, we administered the probiotic bacterium, Lactobacil