Bacterial Microbiota and Fatty Acids in the Faeces of Overweight and Obese Children.

The growing number of children with overweight and obesity constitutes a major health problem of the modern world and it has been suggested that intestinal microbiota may influence energy intake from food. The objectives of this study were to determine quantity and proportions of dominant genera of Bacteroides, Prevotella (phylum Bacteroidetes ); Clostridium , Lactobacillus (phylum Firmicutes ) and Bifidobacterium (phylum Actinobacteria ) in the intestines and to determine the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) in the stool of 20 obese children and 20 children with normal body weight. Strains classified as Firmicutes ( Clostridium and Lactobacillus ) predominated in stool microbiota of obese children, while those of Bacteroidetes ( Prevotella and Bacteroides ) were in minority ( p < 0.

Dietary resistant dextrins positively modulate fecal and cecal microbiota composition in young rats.

The objective of the present study was to demonstrate the effect of dietary resistant dextrins, as potential prebiotics, on the intestinal microflora of young rats. Enzyme-resistant dextrin, prepared by heating of potato starch in the presence of hydrochloric (0.1% dsb) and tartaric (40% dsb) acid at 130ºC for 2 h (CA-dextrin).

Prebiotic properties of potato starch dextrins.

The objective of the present study was to compare the prebiotic properties of starch dextrins, that is, resistant dextrins obtained from potato starch in the process of simultaneous thermolysis and chemical modification, which were selected based on previous research. Both prepared dextrins met the definition criterion of dietary fiber and also the basic prebiotic criterion - they were not degraded by the digestive enzymes of the initial sections of the gastrointestinal tract. The growth of probiotic lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, as well as Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, Bacteroides, and Clostridium strains isolated from feces of healthy people, showed that both studied dextrins were utilized as a source of assimilable carbon and energy by the strains.

The influence of Lactobacillus casei DN 114 001 on the activity of faecal enzymes and genotoxicity of faecal water in the presence of heterocyclic aromatic amines.

High activity of bacterial enzymes in human colon and genotoxicity of faecal water (FW) are biomarkers of the harmful action of microbiota. The aim of the present study was to assess the activity of β-glucuronidase and β-glucosidase and the genotoxicity of FW in vitro after incubation with 2-amino-3-methyl-3H-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) or 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and probiotic Lactobacillus casei DN 114 001 (Actimel). Our results indicate, that IQ and PhIP greatly increased the activity of faecal enzymes (it was up to four times higher, as measured by spectrophotometric methods) and the genotoxicity of FW (% DNA in the tail was up to 3.

Probiotic lactic acid bacteria detoxify N-nitrosodimethylamine.

Humans can be exposed to N-nitroso compounds (NOCs) due to many environmental sources, as well as endogenous formation. The main nitrosamine found in food products and also synthesised in vivo by intestinal microbiota is N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). It can cause cancer of the stomach, kidney and colon.

Beta-glucuronidase and Beta-glucosidase activity in stool specimens of children with inflammatory bowel disease.

The aim of the study was to analyze the differences in the activity of beta-glucuronidase and beta-glucosidase in stool specimens of children with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and healthy subjects. The disease activity was determined according to the PCDAI scale (Crohn disease) and Truelove-Witts scale (Ulcerative colitis). Enzyme activity was determined by spectrophotometry.

Changes in gut microbiota in children with atopic dermatitis administered the bacteria Lactobacillus casei DN--114001.

Gut microbiota was analyzed in children, aged 6-18 months and suffering from atopic dermatitis before and after 3 month supplementation of their diet with Lactobacillus casei DN--114001 in a dose of 109 cells daily. On completion of this period the total number of fecal Lactobacillus sp. cells decreased from 7.

Probiotic preparation reduces the faecal water genotoxicity in chickens fed with aflatoxin B1 contaminated fodder.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of a probiotic preparation on the genotoxicity of faecal water of broiler chickens fed with a fodder contaminated with aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) at 1 or 5mg per kg. Human blood lymphocytes were exposed to chicken's faecal water samples and DNA damage was measured using the comet assay. Genotoxicity of faecal water did not depend on the AFB(1) concentration in the fodder.

Beta-glucuronidase and beta-glucosidase activity of Lactobacillus and Enterococcus isolated from human feces.

The domination of microorganisms characterized by excessive activity of the so-called fecal enzymes may be one of the reasons of the large intestine cancers. These enzymes are mainly those that belong to the hydrolase and reductase classes and their excessive activity may lead to disorders in the functioning of the digestive tract. The aim of tise research was to determine the activity of beta-glucuronidase and beta-glucosidase of Lactobacillus and Enterococcus strains isolated from the feces of healthy children, aged 1 and 8, and adults, aged 30 and 80.

Ability of probiotic Lactobacillus casei DN 114001 to bind or/and metabolise heterocyclic aromatic amines in vitro.

Introduction: Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCA) are compounds with high mutagenic potential, formed when meat is cooked at high temperatures of 150-300 degrees C. These compounds contribute to development of colon and gastric cancer. Western diet provides a lot of HCA and influences the available substrates for the intestinal microbiota which can activate HCA to direct acting mutagens.

Influence of phenol, p-cresol and indole on growth and survival of intestinal lactic acid bacteria.

Some intestinal bacteria can produce many genotoxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic substances. The major products of the bacterial aromatic amino acids fermentation-phenolic and indolic compounds which are responsible for colon cancer development are accumulated in the colon. The effect of phenol, p-cresol and indole (2, 20 and 100 microg/ml doses) on growth and survival of four strains of intestinal lactic acid bacteria was studied.