Occurrence of Bifidobacteriaceae in human hypochlorhydria stomach

open7noBackground: The human stomach, when healthy, is not a suitable host for microorganisms, but in pathological conditions such as gastritis, when gastric acid secretion is impaired, microbial overgrowth can be observed. Apart from Helicobacter pylori, the composition of microbiota, resident or exogenously introduced during neutral/high pH conditions, has not been investigated thoroughly. Thus, it is possible that Bifidobacteriaceae, important autochthonous and beneficial bacteria of human gastrointestinal microbiota, could over-colonize the stomach of hypochlorhydria patients suffering from autoimmune atrophic gastritis (AAG) or omeprazoletreated (OME) gastritis. This prompted us to characterize the Bifidobacteriaceae in such patients’ gastric microbiota and to study its abnormal colonization. Methods: Samples of gastric juices, and antrum and corpus mucosa from 23 hypochlorhydria patients (13 AAG and 10 OME) and from 10 control volunteers with base-line normochlorhydria, were cultivated in Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) and selective Bifidobacterium-Tryptone-Phytone-Yeast extract (Bif-TPY) media. The isolates were characterized by the fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase (F6PPK) test, electrophoresis of cellular proteins, the fermentation test, guanine-cytosine% DNA content, and DNADNA hybridization. Negative F6PPK isolates were characterized by order-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: A total of 125 isolates, assigned to the Bifidobacteriaceae family on the basis of their morphology, were obtained from AAG and OME patients, but not from normal subjects. Of these isolates, 55 were assigned to the Bifidobacteriaceae family on the basis of their fructose-6-phosphoketolase (PPK) activity, PPK being the key taxonomic enzyme of this family. The remaining 70 isolates, which were PPK-negative, were attributed to the Actinomycetales order following specific primer PCR analysis. We observed a significantly higher abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae (Bifidobacterium dentium, Scardovia inopinata, and Parascardovia denticolens) in OME group than the AAG group. Furthermore, the Actinomycetales distribution was homogeneous for both hypochlorhydria patient groups. Conclusions: This study suggests that the Bifidobacteriaceae species, typically found in the oral cavity, readily colonizes the hypochlorhydria stomach of OME patients. The clinical relevance and the mechanism underlying this Bifidobacteriaceae presence in OME gastritis requires further functional studies.openPaola Mattarelli; Giovanni Brandi; Carlo Calabrese; Fabio Fornari; Gian Maria Prati; Bruno Biavati; Barbara SgorbatiPaola Mattarelli; Giovanni Brandi; Carlo Calabrese; Fabio Fornari; Gian Maria Prati; Bruno Biavati; Barbara Sgorbat

Probiotics and Prebiotics in Animal Nutrition

This chapter will review mainly the development and important functions of beneficial microbes in gastrointestinal tract of animals important for humans as food source (livestock such as pig, cattle, poultry) but also for their products such as honey bee. It is also aimed to illustrate application of some novel alternatives for animal weelfare, such as trend for prebiotic and probiotic use in animal feeding

Carbohydrate stress-related response in Bifidobacterium pseudolongum subsp. globosum

Bifidobacteria are indigenous components of human and animal gastrointestinal microbiota, and their health-promoting benefits have long been recognized. Eight of the 36 currently described species of the Bifidobacterium genus contain plasmids, most of which are cryptic. It is possible that plasmid presence is very closely related to environmental change, so in conditions of stress this presence could be specifically controlled. For plasmid positive Bifidobacterium pseudolongum subsp. globosum RU809/1, the influence of the type and concentration of the carbohydrate source is evident in the dramatic pVS809 curing effect when growth is conducted in the presence of 0.15% (w/v) glucose, lactose, maltose, melibiose, raffinose or starch. The effect is linked to carbohydrate starvation, not to carbohydrate abundance, and is independent of biomass growth. Plasmid curing was achieved after one or two consecutive transfers, also in cells grown on media containing 0.15% of arabinose, fructose, galactose and sucrose, but not mannose, ribose or xylose. Knowing plasmid behavior in stressful conditions, like carbon source availability, has allowed an early insight into carbohydrate starvation as a curing agent for bifidobacteria. Furthermore, knowledge of plasmid behavior in stressful conditions could be important not only in genetics and ecology but also in food-grade and pharmaceutical applications for the development of cloning and expression vector systems for bifidobacteria

Characterization and antimicrobial activity of essential oils of industrial hemp varieties (Cannabis sativa L.)

The present study focused on inhibitory activity of freshly extracted essential oils from three legal (THC < 0.2% w/v) hemp varieties (Carmagnola, Fibranova and Futura) on microbial growth. The effect of different sowing times on oil composition and biological activity was also evaluated. Essential oils were distilled and then characterized through the gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Thereafter, the oils were compared to standard reagents on a broad range inhibition of microbial growth via minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. Microbial strains were divided into three groups: i) Gram (+) bacteria, which regard to food-borne pathogens or gastrointestinal bacteria, ii) Gram (−) bacteria and iii) yeasts, both being involved in plant interactions. The results showed that essential oils of industrial hemp can significantly inhibit the microbial growth, to an extent depending on variety and sowing time. It can be concluded that essential oils of industrial hemp, especially those of Futura, may have interesting applications to control spoilage and food-borne pathogens and phytopathogens microorganisms

Occurrence of Bifidobacteriaceae

BACKGROUND: The human stomach, when healthy, is not a suitable host for microorganisms, but in pathological conditions such as gastritis, when gastric acid secretion is impaired, microbial overgrowth can be observed. Apart from Helicobacter pylori, the composition of microbiota, resident or exogenously introduced during neutral/high pH conditions, has not been investigated thoroughly. Thus, it is possible that Bifidobacteriaceae, important autochthonous and beneficial bacteria of human gastrointestinal microbiota, could over-colonize the stomach of hypochlorhydria patients suffering from autoimmune atrophic gastritis (AAG) or omeprazole-treated (OME) gastritis. This prompted us to characterize the Bifidobacteriaceae in such patients’ gastric microbiota and to study its abnormal colonization. METHODS: Samples of gastric juices, and antrum and corpus mucosa from 23 hypochlorhydria patients (13 AAG and 10 OME) and from 10 control volunteers with base-line normochlorhydria, were cultivated in Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) and selective Bifidobacterium-Tryptone-Phytone-Yeast extract (Bif-TPY) media. The isolates were characterized by the fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase (F6PPK) test, electrophoresis of cellular proteins, the fermentation test, guanine-cytosine% DNA content, and DNA–DNA hybridization. Negative F6PPK isolates were characterized by order-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: A total of 125 isolates, assigned to the Bifidobacteriaceae family on the basis of their morphology, were obtained from AAG and OME patients, but not from normal subjects. Of these isolates, 55 were assigned to the Bifidobacteriaceae family on the basis of their fructose-6-phosphoketolase (PPK) activity, PPK being the key taxonomic enzyme of this family. The remaining 70 isolates, which were PPK-negative, were attributed to the Actinomycetales order following specific primer PCR analysis. We observed a significantly higher abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae (Bifidobacterium dentium, Scardovia inopinata, and Parascardovia denticolens) in OME group than the AAG group. Furthermore, the Actinomycetales distribution was homogeneous for both hypochlorhydria patient groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the Bifidobacteriaceae species, typically found in the oral cavity, readily colonizes the hypochlorhydria stomach of OME patients. The clinical relevance and the mechanism underlying this Bifidobacteriaceae presence in OME gastritis requires further functional studies

Bifidobacterium. eulemuris sp. nov. isolated from the faeces of the black lemur (Eulemur macaco)

Forty strains of bifidobacteria were isolated from the faeces of two adult subjects of black lemur, Eulemur macaco. Twenty-five were identified as Bifidobacterium lemurum, the novel species recently described in Lemur catta. All other isolates resulted Gram-positive-staining, non-spore-forming, fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase positive, microaerophilic, irregular rod-shaped bacteria that often resembled Y or V shapes cells. Typing techniques revealed these isolates were nearly identical and strain LMM_E3T was chosen as representative and characterized further. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences clustered this isolate inside the genus Bifidobacterium and showed the highest levels of sequence similarities with Bifidobacterium lemurum DSM 28807T (99.6%), with Bifidobacterium pullorum LMG 21816T and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis ATCC 15697T (96.4 % and 96.3%, respectively). Analysis of hsp60 gene sequences revealed that strain LMM_E3T was also closely related to Bifidobacterium stellenboschense DSM 23968T (93.3%). DNA-DNA reassociation value with the closest neighbour B. lemurum DSM 28807T was found to be 65.4%. The DNA base composition was 62.3 mol% G+C. Strain LMM_E3T showed a peptidoglycan structure which has not been detected in bifidobacteria so far: A3\u3b1 L-Lys - L-Ser - L-Thr - L-Ala. Based on the phylogenetic, genotypic and phenotypic data, strain LMM_E3 T represents a novel species within the genus Bifidobacterium for which the name Bifidobacterium eulemuris sp. nov. is now proposed; the type strain is LMM_E3T (=DSM 100216T; = JCM 30801T)

Richard Siegal : Idea in Action : The Bakery

''American dancer and choreographer Richard Siegal created an artistic network called THE BAKERY in 205 devoted to interdisciplinary research and production. Along with performing artists, Siegal works with architects, composer, new media experts, designers, curators, and theoreticians. Together they explore new directions in performance related to technology and the other arts. The exploration of these relationships has resulted in interactive installations, such as IF / THE INSTALLED or LOGIC GATE, which have been shown in various museums and exhibition halls, as well as dance performances ans site-specific projects, as the recent works COPIRATES and CIVIC MIMIC exemplify.'' -- back of slipcase

Bifidobacterium callitrichidarum sp. nov. from the faeces of the emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator)

Three Gram-stain-positive, non-spore-forming, microaerophilic and fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase positive strains were isolated from a faecal sample of an adult subject of the emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator). Given that the isolates revealed identical BOX PCR profiles, strain TRI 5T was selected as a representative and characterized further. Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity revealed that strain TRI 5T was closely related to Bifidobacterium saguini DSM 23967T (96.4 %) and to Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum ATCC 15708 (96.2 %). Multilocus sequence analyses of five housekeeping genes showed the close phylogenetic relatedness of this strain to Bifidobacterium breve DSM 20213T (hsp60 94.1 %), Bifidobacterium saguini DSM 23967T (clpC 91 %), Bifidobacterium avesanii DSM 100685T (dnaG 80.3 %), Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis ATCC 15697T (dnaJ 85.3 %) and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum ATCC 15708 (rpoB 93 %), respectively. The peptidoglycan type was A3β, with an interpeptide bridge comprising L-Orn (Lys) – L-Ser – L-Ala – L-Thr – LAla. The DNA G+C content of strain TRI 5T was 60.9 mol%. Based on the data provided, strain TRI 5T represents a novel species of the genus Bifidobacterium for which the name Bifidobacterium callitrichidarum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TRI 5T (=DSM 103152T=JCM 31790T)