Isolation and Characterization of New Probiotic Strains From Chinese Babies.

Goals: The aims of this study were to isolate, to identify, and to characterize new potential probiotic strains from the feces of Chinese neonates.

Background: Probiotic strains approved in China for use in infants were declared to originate from the human gut of Western subjects. Diet is listed among the main factors affecting the composition of the human gut along with other factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and health status.

A randomized double-blind trial on perioperative administration of probiotics in colorectal cancer patients.

Aim: To investigate whether probiotic bacteria, given perioperatively, might adhere to the colonic mucosa, reduce concentration of pathogens in stools, and modulate the local immune function.

Methods: A randomized, double-blind clinical trial was carried out in 31 subjects undergoing elective colorectal resection for cancer. Patients were allocated to receive either a placebo (group A, n = 10), or a dose of 10(7) of a mixture of Bifidobacterium longum (BB536) and Lactobacillus johnsonii (La1) (group B, n = 11), or the same mixture at a concentration of 10(9) (group C, n = 10).

Susceptibility to tetracycline and erythromycin of Lactobacillus paracasei strains isolated from traditional Italian fermented foods.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility of 197 isolates of Lactobacillus paracasei, isolated from Italian fermented products coming from different geographical areas, to tetracycline and erythromycin, two antimicrobials widely used in clinical and animal therapy. Isolation media were supplemented with antibiotics according to the microbiological breakpoints (BPs) defined by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Isolates were identified at the species level and were typed by rep-PCR using the (GTG)(5) primer.

Erythromycin- and tetracycline-resistant lactobacilli in Italian fermented dry sausages.

Aims: To assess the frequency of erythromycin- and tetracycline-resistant lactobacilli in Italian fermented dry sausages.

Methods And Results: We isolated lactobacilli colonies from 20 salami from the north of Italy (Piacenza province) using selective medium supplemented with erythromycin or tetracycline; we determined the minimum inhibitory concentration and searched for selected erythromycin and tetracycline resistance genes. A total of 312 lactobacilli colonies were genetically ascribed to 60 different strains belonging to seven Lactobacillus species.

In vivo association to human colon of Lactobacillus paracasei B21060: map from biopsies.

Background: Adhesion to the intestinal mucosa is one of the main suitable properties for probiotic bacteria. Several in vitro studies have been published, but a very few data are available about the in vivo adhesion to intestinal surfaces of probiotics. Moreover, there are no data regarding the distribution of a probiotic strain along the entire intestine.