Fecal bacteria from 33 infants (aged 1 to 6 months) were tested for growth on commercial prebiotics. The children were born vaginally (20) or by caesarean section (13). Bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli, and total anaerobes in fecal samples were enumerated by selective agars and fluorescence in situ hybridization. The total fecal bacteria were inoculated into cultivation media containing 2 % Vivinal® (galactooligosaccharides-GOS) or Raftilose® P95 (fructooligosaccharides-FOS) as a single carbon source and bacteria were enumerated again after 24 h of anaerobic cultivation. Bifidobacteria dominated, reaching counts of 9-10 log colony-forming units (CFU)/g in 17 children born vaginally and in seven children delivered by caesarean section. In these infants, lactobacilli were more frequently detected and a lower number of E. coli and gram-negative bacteria were determined compared to bifidobacteria-negative infants. Clostridia dominated in children without bifidobacteria, reaching counts from 7 to 9 log CFU/g. Both prebiotics supported all groups of bacteria tested. In children with naturally high counts of bifidobacteria, bifidobacteria dominated also after cultivation on prebiotics, reaching counts from 8.23 to 8.77 log CFU/mL. In bifidobacteria-negative samples, clostridia were supported by prebiotics, reaching counts from 7.17 to 7.69 log CFU/mL. There were no significant differences between bacterial growth on Vivinal® and Raftilose® P95 and counts determined by cultivation and FISH. Prebiotics should selectively stimulate the growth of desirable bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. However, our results showed that commercially available FOS and GOS may stimulate also other fecal bacteria.

• MeSH
• Bacteria growth & development   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Feces microbiology   MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Prebiotics analysis   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Prebiotics MeSH

Human milk (HM) contains as the third most abundant component around 200 different structures of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). HMOs are the first and irreplaceable prebiotics for infants, supporting bifidobacteria as the most important bacterial group in an infant intestine. The aim of our study was to test the growth of bifidobacteria in HM and on HMOs. Bifidobacteria were isolated from two groups of infants. The first one (eight strains) were isolated from infants who had bifidobacteria in their feces but, after a short period of time (4 to 24 days), bifidobacteria were no longer detected in their feces (disappeared bifidobacteria [DB]). The second group of bifidobacteria (eight strains) originated from infants with continual presence of bifidobacteria in their feces (persistent bifidobacteria [PB]). There were significant differences (p < 0.05) between DB and PB groups in the ability of the strains to grow in HM. PB grew in HM, reaching counts higher than 7 log CFU/ml. In contrast, counts of DB decreased from 5 to 4.3 log CFU/ml after cultivation in HM. The final pH after cultivation of bifidobacteria on HMOs was 6.2 and 4.9 in DP and PB groups, respectively. In general, Bifidobacterium bifidum and B. breve species were able to utilize HMOs, while B. adolescentis and B. longum subsp. longum species did not. The ability to grow in HM and to utilize HMOs seem to be important properties of bifidobacteria which are able to colonize infant intestinal tract.

• MeSH
• Bifidobacterium growth & development   isolation & purification   metabolism   MeSH
• Feces microbiology   MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Culture Media metabolism   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Milk, Human chemistry   microbiology   MeSH
• Oligosaccharides metabolism   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Culture Media MeSH
• Oligosaccharides MeSH

16S rRNA sequences of ruminal uncultured bacterial clones from public databases were phylogenetically examined. The sequences were found to form two unique clusters not affiliated with any known bacterial species: cluster of unidentified sequences of free floating rumen fluid uncultured bacteria (FUB) and cluster of unidentified sequences of bacteria associated with rumen epithelium (AUB). A set of PCR primers targeting 16S rRNA of ruminal free uncultured bacteria and rumen epithelium adhering uncultured bacteria was designed based on these sequences. FUB primers were used for relative quantification of uncultured bacteria in ovine rumen samples. The effort to increase the population size of FUB group has been successful in sulfate reducing broth and culture media supplied with cellulose.

• MeSH
• Rumen microbiology   MeSH
• Bacteria classification   genetics   isolation & purification   metabolism   MeSH
• DNA Primers genetics   MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• Goats MeSH
• Culture Media metabolism   MeSH
• Molecular Sequence Data MeSH
• Sheep MeSH
• Polymerase Chain Reaction methods   MeSH
• Cattle MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Cattle MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Evaluation Study MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• DNA Primers MeSH
• Culture Media MeSH

Bifidobacteria (246 strains in total) were isolated from rectal samples of infants and adult humans and animals, and from intestinal samples of calves. Twenty-five strains grew well on mucin: 20 from infants, two from adults, and three from goatlings. Poor or no growth on mucin was observed in 156 bifidobacterial strains of animal origin. The difference between human and animal isolates in ability to grow on mucin was significant at p < 0.001. Nine human strains with the best growth on mucin were identified as Bifidobacterium bifidum. These strains produced extracellular, membrane-bound, and intracellular mucinases with activities of 0.11, 0.53, and 0.09 μmol/min of reducing sugars per milligram of protein, respectively. Membrane-bound mucinases were active between pH 5 and 10. The optimum pH of extracellular mucinases was 6-7. Fermentation patterns in cultures grown on mucin and glucose differed. On mucin, the acetate-to-lactate ratio was higher than in cultures grown on glucose (p = 0.012). We showed that the bifidobacteria belong to the mucin-fermenting bacteria in humans, but their significance in mucin degradation in animals seems to be limited.

• MeSH
• Bifidobacterium enzymology   genetics   isolation & purification   metabolism   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Fermentation MeSH
• Glucose metabolism   MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Hydrogen-Ion Concentration MeSH
• Goats MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mucins metabolism   MeSH
• Polysaccharide-Lyases chemistry   metabolism   MeSH
• Cattle MeSH
• Enzyme Stability MeSH
• Temperature MeSH
• Intestine, Large microbiology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Cattle MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Glucose MeSH
• hyaluronate lyase MeSH Browser
• Mucins MeSH
• Polysaccharide-Lyases MeSH

A total of 142 human and 88 calf bifidobacteria were isolated and identified; approximately 12 % of all isolated strains exhibited auto-aggregation (Agg) phenotype (Agg+). Properties considered to be predicting for their adhesion to intestine, i.e. auto-aggregation, and hydrophobicity were determined by xylene extraction in 18 human and 8 calf origin bifidobacteria. Co-aggregation of 8 human bifidobacteria with 8 clostridia was also evaluated. Agg varied between 16.3 and 96.4 %, hydrophobicity values ranged from 0 to 82.8 %. The strongest Agg and hydrophobicity were observed in B. bifidum and B. merycicum isolates. However, there were no statistically significant correlations between these two properties. Variability in the percentage of Agg and hydrophobicity was observed after cultivation of bifidobacteria on different carbon sources. All bifidobacteria showed co-aggregation ability with clostridia tested but there were remarkable differences depending on specific combinations of strains. The bifidobacterial strains with the highest ability to co-aggregate with clostridia were B. bifidum I4 and B. longum I10 isolated from infants; these strains gave also high values of Agg. Agg properties together with co-aggregation ability with potential pathogen can be used for preliminary selection of probiotic bacteria.

• MeSH
• Bacterial Adhesion * MeSH
• Bifidobacterium classification   growth & development   isolation & purification   physiology   MeSH
• Clostridium growth & development   isolation & purification   physiology   MeSH
• Feces microbiology   MeSH
• Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions MeSH
• Culture Media MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Surface Properties MeSH
• Cattle MeSH
• Intestines microbiology   MeSH
• Carbon metabolism   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Cattle MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Culture Media MeSH
• Carbon MeSH

Development of gastrointestinal microflora of calves with special reference to bifidobacteria was investigated; fecal bacteria were enumerated in calves aged 3 days to 7 weeks. Bacteria were detected by using selective media, bifidobacteria using modified TPY agar with an addition of mupirocin and acetic acid and by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Bifidobacteria were dominant group of fecal flora of calves after 7 d of life, constituting 10 % of total bacterial counts. The highest bacterial concentrations were observed in rumen, cecum, and colon, the lowest in abomasum and duodenum. Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli exhibited the highest survival ability during stomach passage and dominated in all parts of the digestive tract. Bifidobacteria counts determined by FISH were significantly higher than those provided by cultivation. Modified TPY agar was highly selective and suitable for bifidobacteria isolation but FISH was shown to be a more precise method for their enumeration. Our results show that gastrointestinal microflora of calves in the milk-feeding period is similar to breast-fed infants with respect to the occurrence of bifidobacteria as a dominant bacterial group. The use of Bifidobacterium strains offers a promising way for providing beneficial effectors for calves in the milk-feeding period.

• MeSH
• Bifidobacterium genetics   growth & development   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Ecosystem MeSH
• Feces microbiology   MeSH
• Gastrointestinal Tract microbiology   MeSH
• In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence MeSH
• Animals, Suckling microbiology   MeSH
• Colony Count, Microbial MeSH
• Cattle MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Cattle MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH