Large intestine, microbiota

Probiotics are described as "live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host" (FAO/WHO, 2002). Bifidobacteria are largely used as probiotics in many food products such as yoghurt, milk, infant formula, cheese, and dietary supplements. The probiotic concept was recognized for the first time by Metchnikoff in 1908 when he observed that the introduction of some fermented foods in the diet had beneficial properties on human health. Since Metchnikoff s original observations, various researches confirmed the ability of probiotic strains to exert positive effects on the host s health status, such as immunostimulation, modulation of the intestinal microbiota, cholesterol reduction, alleviation of acute gastro-enteritis, short-chain fatty add (SCFAs) production, alleviation of constipation and the reduction of allergic disease symptoms, lactose intolerance and intestinal inflammation. ... 

Despite the notion of a core microbiome and the stability of the gut microbial ecosystem over time without major changes in dietary habits, each individual person harbors their own characteristic intestinal microbiota (in the sense of a persmialized fingerprint). Indeed, there are large interindividual differences in both intestinal bacterial compositiOTi (proportion of taxa) and diversity (qualitative pattern of... 

Infants can be exposed to substantial amounts of Epidemiological data on the impact of chronic phenolics and colonization events determine the early exposure to phenolics are warranted and metabolic potential of intestinal microbiota effort should be put in characterizing the establishment of intestinal microbiota in large ... 

The tannins that reach the large intestine could be degraded by colonic microorganisms. The studies on metabolism of tannins by intestinal microbiota in ruminants are limited. Colonic microbiota of humans apparently metabolized the polymeric CT extensively after 48 h of incubation under in vitro anaerobic conditions (Deprez et al. 2000). Phenylacetic, phenylpropionic and phenylbutyric acids were the main metabolites detected, although, they represented only 2.7% of the initial radioactivity from the substrate (Deprez et al. 2000). 

---