Real-time PCR methods for identification and stability monitoring of subsp. UABl-14 during shelf life.

subsp. UABl-14 is an important probiotic strain that was found to support digestive health. Here we present the development and validation of real-time PCR methods for strain-specific identification and enumeration of this important strain.

Probiotic and postbiotic analytical methods: a perspective of available enumeration techniques.

Probiotics are the largest non-herbal/traditional dietary supplements category worldwide. To be effective, a probiotic strain must be delivered viable at an adequate dose proven to deliver a health benefit. The objective of this article is to provide an overview of the various technologies available for probiotic enumeration, including a general description of each technology, their advantages and limitations, and their potential for the future of the probiotics industry.

The power of DNA based methods in probiotic authentication.

Introduction: The global probiotic market is growing rapidly, and strict quality control measures are required to ensure probiotic product efficacy and safety. Quality assurance of probiotic products involve confirming the presence of specific probiotic strains, determining the viable cell counts, and confirming the absence of contaminant strains. Third-party evaluation of probiotic quality and label accuracy is recommended for probiotic manufacturers.

Real-time polymerase chain reaction methods for strain specific identification and enumeration of strain 8700:2.

Introduction: Reliable and accurate methods for probiotic identification and enumeration, at the strain level plays a major role in confirming product efficacy since probiotic health benefits are strain-specific and dose-dependent. In this study, real-time PCR methods were developed for strain specific identification and enumeration of 8700:2, a probiotic strain that plays a role in fighting the common cold.

Methods: The assay was designed to target a unique region in 8700:2 genome sequence to achieve strain level specificity.

Locked Nucleic Acid Hydrolysis Probes for the Specific Identification of Probiotic Strains subsp. DSM 15954 and Bi-07™.

Probiotic health benefits are now well-recognized to be strain specific. Probiotic strain characterization and identification is thus important in clinical research and in the probiotic industry. This is becoming especially important with reports of probiotic products failing to meet the declared strain content, potentially compromising their efficacy.

Enumeration of Probiotic Strain Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) Using Viability Real-time PCR.

Probiotic health benefits are strain specific and are dose dependent. Hence, administering the correct strains, at the recommended doses is essential to achieve probiotic health benefits. Reliable methods are needed to facilitate probiotic strain identification and enumeration.

Niche specificity and functional diversity of the bacterial communities associated with Ginkgo biloba and Panax quinquefolius.

Plant-associated bacteria can establish mutualistic relationships with plants to support plant health. Plant tissues represent heterogeneous niches with distinct characteristics and may thus host distinct microbial populations. The objectives of this study are to investigate the bacterial communities associated with two medicinally and commercially important plant species; Ginkgo biloba and Panax quinquefolius using high Throughput Sequencing (HTS) of 16S rRNA gene, and to evaluate the extent of heterogeneity in bacterial communities associated with different plant niches.

A Validated Real-Time PCR Method for the Specific Identification of Probiotic Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103).

Background: Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is one of the best-studied and most widely used probiotic strains, with various health benefits. Because probiotic health benefits and safety are strain specific, the availability of a reliable assay for specific identification of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is vital to ensure probiotic efficacy.

Objective: To design and validate a probe-based real-time PCR assay for specific identification of strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.

Characterization of the microbiota of commercially traded finfish fillets.

The profile of human gut microbiota is known to be affected by diet and is linked to human health. Seafood is a highly consumed food and it accounts for a large proportion of food-borne illness. The objective of this study is to characterise the microbiota of fish fillets of various species sold in the Canadian market.

Draft Genome Sequences of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Strains CBC-LB69 and CBC-LB8, Isolated from Homemade Dairy Foods in Bulgaria.

Here, we report the draft genome sequences of subsp. strains CBC-LB69 and CBC-LB8. The strains were isolated from naturally processed, homemade dairy foods in Bulgaria.

Draft Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus rhamnosus Strain CBC-LR1, Isolated from Homemade Dairy Foods in Bulgaria.

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of strain CBC-LR1, which was isolated from naturally processed, homemade dairy foods in Bulgaria. The genome was assembled in 29 contigs with a total length of 2,892,155 bp and a GC content of 46.7%.

Draft Genome Sequence of Streptococcus thermophilus Strain CBC-S77, Isolated from Homemade Dairy Foods in Bulgaria.

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of strain CBC-S77. The strain was originally isolated from naturally processed, homemade dairy foods in West Rhode Mountain, Bulgaria. The genome was assembled in 148 contigs with a total length of 1,707,130 bp, with 1,563 coding genes and a GC content of 39.

Real-Time PCR Assays for the Specific Identification of Probiotic Strains Lactobacillus gasseri BNR17 and Lactobacillus reuteri LRC (NCIMB 30242).

The broad spectrum of health benefits attributed to probiotics has contributed to a rapid increase in the value of the probiotic market. Probiotic health benefits can be strain specific. Thus, strain-level identification of probiotic strains is of paramount importance to ensure probiotic efficacy.

Combined Targeted and Non-targeted PCR Based Methods Reveal High Levels of Compliance in Probiotic Products Sold as Dietary Supplements in United States and Canada.

Probiotics are defined as "live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host." The diverse health benefits have contributed to rapid increase in probiotic consumption and in the value of probiotic market, valued at USD 46 billion in 2019. For probiotics to be effective, the correct species/strains should be delivered viable in an adequate dose.

Investigating appropriate molecular and chemical methods for ingredient identity testing of plant-based protein powder dietary supplements.

Plant-based protein powders are rapidly growing in popularity, and outdated quality assurance tools expose vulnerabilities to adulteration via different methods of "protein spiking". Adequate diagnostic tools are urgently needed to be able to authenticate protein source ingredients and screen for potential adulterants. We explored the application of three diagnostic tools for ingredient identification: targeted PCR with Sanger sequencing, NGS, and LC-MS/MS.

Re-visiting the occurrence of undeclared species in sausage products sold in Canada.

Meat and poultry are major protein sources for humans worldwide. Undeclared ingredients in processed meat products, like sausage, continue to be identified in retail products all over the world. In collaboration with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, a previous study of products purchased in Canada showed 20% mislabelling rate in sausage meats when tested for beef, pork, chicken, turkey and horse using DNA barcoding and digital PCR.

Survey of mislabelling across finfish supply chain reveals mislabelling both outside and within Canada.

Seafood has become one of the most heavily traded food commodities in the era of globalization. International seafood supply chains are complex and contend with many difficulties in bringing an enormous variety of products to market. A major challenge involves accurately labelling products such that they comply with a diverse set of regulatory frameworks, ranging from country-of-origin through to the final point of consumer sale.

Guidelines for Validation of Qualitative Real-Time PCR Methods for Molecular Diagnostic Identification of Probiotics.

Probiotics have been shown to benefit human health through several mechanisms, including their role in improving the health of our gastrointestinal tracts. The health benefits of probiotics are strain specific, and therefore it is critical to include the correct strains in probiotic products when claiming specific health benefits. Several studies have reported issues concerning the accuracy of labeling of commercial probiotic products, including inaccurate taxonomy, missing species, or undeclared species.

An endophytic microbe from an unusual volcanic swamp corn seeks and inhabits root hair cells to extract rock phosphate.

In the animal microbiome, localization of microbes to specific cell types is well established, but there are few such examples within the plant microbiome which includes endophytes. Endophytes are non-pathogenic microbes that inhabit plants. Root hairs are single cells, equivalent to the nutrient-absorbing intestinal microvilli of animals, used by plants to increase the root surface area for nutrient extraction from soil including phosphorus (P).

Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assays integrated with an internal control for quantification of bovine, porcine, chicken and turkey species in food and feed.

Food adulteration and feed contamination are significant issues in the food/feed industry, especially for meat products. Reliable techniques are needed to monitor these issues. Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) assays were developed and evaluated for detection and quantification of bovine, porcine, chicken and turkey DNA in food and feed samples.

A Burkholderia endophyte of the ancient maize landrace Chapalote utilizes c-di-GMP-dependent and independent signaling to suppress diverse plant fungal pathogen targets.

Chapalote is a maize (corn) landrace grown continuously by subsistence farmers in the Americas since 1000 BC, valued in part for its broad-spectrum pathogen resistance. Previously, we showed that Chapalote possesses a bacterial endophyte, Burkholderia gladioli strain 3A12, which suppresses growth of Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, a fungal pathogen of a maize relative, used as a model system. Ten mutants that lost the anti-pathogen activities were identified, corresponding to five genes.

Seeds of the Wild Progenitor of Maize Possess Bacteria That Antagonize Foodborne Pathogens.

Endophytes are microorganisms that inhabit plant tissues without causing disease. Some endophytes help their hosts to combat pathogens. Here we explored the hypothesis that the plant-derived foods consumed by humans and other animals host endophytes that also antagonize foodborne pathogens or food-rotting agents.

Genes Required for the Anti-fungal Activity of a Bacterial Endophyte Isolated from a Corn Landrace Grown Continuously by Subsistence Farmers Since 1000 BC.

Endophytes are microbes that inhabit internal plant tissues without causing disease. Some endophytes are known to combat pathogens. The corn (maize) landrace Chapalote has been grown continuously by subsistence farmers in the Americas since 1000 BC, without the use of fungicides, and the crop remains highly valued by farmers, in part for its natural tolerance to pests.

Relevance of in vitro agar based screens to characterize the anti-fungal activities of bacterial endophyte communities.

Background: Endophytes are microbes that inhabit internal plant tissues without causing disease. Plant microbial communities consist of large numbers of endophyte species. Understanding the functions of these endophytes is a major challenge.

Draft Genome Sequence of Burkholderia gladioli Strain UCD-UG_CHAPALOTE (Phylum Proteobacteria).

Here, we present the draft genome of Burkholderia gladioli strain UCD-UG_CHAPALOTE. This strain is an endophyte isolated from surface sterilized seeds of an ancient Mexican landrace of corn, Chapalote. The genome contains 8,527,129 bp in 109 scaffolds.