A comparison of methods to extract pure DNA from mammalian intestinal contents and from feces

In the intestinal tract of mammals, the organism is constantly being exposed to a large amount of foreign DNA in the food supply. The intestinal wall contains one of the largest defence systems of the organism. For a number of projects in biomedical research, investigations on the DNA recovered from the contents of the gastrointestinal tract have become increasingly important. In the present report, different methods for the purification of DNA from the gut contents have been compared for the efficacy of extraction and for the quality of DNA obtained. We have also initiated studies on the influence of the fiber content in the daily food supply on the fate of food-ingested DNA in the intestinal tract of mice.