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Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) with frequent watery stools, sometimes with painful bowel movements, fever and sickness, is probably the major known cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis, most probably depending on a disruption of the normal intestinal balance in the microbiome. In this study, we have inoculated a mixture of fecal microbes - as an enema - originating from a healthy Scandinavian middle-aged donor, regularly re-cultivated under strict anaerobic conditions for more than 10 years, to 32 patients. Twenty-two patients (69%) were durably cured. In those patients receiving the transplant by colonoscopy, four out of five were cured. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a fecal culture of microbes has retained the possibility for years to cure a substantial number of patients with CDAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Enterometabolic disturbances may cause meal-related symptoms. We performed a functional evaluation of the intestinal microflora in patients with unexplained, self-reported food hypersensitivity by measuring fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Patients and methods: Thirty-five consecutive patients with self-reported food hypersensitivity and 15 healthy volunteers of similar age, gender, and body mass index collected all feces for 72 hours. Fecal concentrations of acetic, propionic, n-butyric, i-butyric, n-valeric, i-valeric, n-caproic, and i-caproic acids were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. Concentrations and excretions (output) of SCFAs in patients and controls were compared and related to gastrointestinal symptoms. Results: Despite nonsignificant differences between patients and controls for both total and individual SCFA concentrations and excretions, n-butyric acid comprised a higher (P = 0.035) and acetic acid a lower (P = 0.012) proportion of total SCFA in patients compared to controls. There were no significant correlations between symptom scores and concentrations or excretions of individual or total SCFAs, but the proportion of n-butyric acid was significantly higher in patients with severe symptoms compared to patients with moderate symptoms (P = 0.016). Conclusion: The results indicate an enterometabolic disturbance in patients with self-reported food hypersensitivity. Higher proportions of n-butyric acid may be related to abdominal symptom generation, but may also protect against organic bowel disease. Further studies are needed to clarify these aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the factors that contribute to the growth and development of breastfed and non-breastfed infants considering the specifications of the Growth Chart Standards of the World Health Organization (WHO). It states that the Growth Chart Standards are used to determine the growth rate of breastfed infants on their first six months. It adds that the fat intake of the mother affects the contents of her milk which pose consequences for the offspring. It also suggests that mammary glands in may have developed from skin glands responsible for immunity. Moreover, it highlights biological compounds that affect infant growth including human lactoferrin, milk oligosaccharides and anti-secretory factors (AF).

Background: Several bacterial strains, mainly those belonging to the genera Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus and Bifidobacterium, are currently used as probiotics. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of probiotics on five biochemical microbial-related functions in vitro and in vivo, in gnotobiotic mice, by applying the GAC/M AC (germ-free animal characteristic/microflora-associated characteristic) concept. Design: Sixteen probiotics were monoinoculated in vitro and/or monoassociated to germ-free mice to investigate the following biochemical parameters in large intestinal samples: inactivation of tryptic activity, degradation of β-aspartylglycine and of mucin, conversion of bilirubin to urobilinogen and β-glucuronidase activity. Results: Lactobacillus reuteri 2010, L. rhamnosus strain 271, L. rhamnosus ATCC7469 and L. rhamnosus GG ATCC53103 expressed β-glucuronidase activity. The other parameters tested were not influenced by any of the probiotics. Conclusions: Bacterial β-glucuronidases have an important intestinal function. As many microbial-host and microbe-diet interactions occur in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals, microbial-related functions should be studied in greater detail in probiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This chapter will summarise the role of some functionally active intestinal microbes acting on man and animal on some anatomical, physiological and biochemical functions. The influences on immunological functions will be presented separately. The baselines for these functions refer to studies performed in material from germfree animals and healthy newborns, and values obtained are compared to functions in a macro-organism which have been in affected by a micro-flora. In principle, these functions are similar in all the organisms so far investigated, only the levels vary, due to age, and different dietary components and environmental factors. Alterations of the normal pattern of these functions mainly reflects altered ecological conditions in the organism and the reasons for these are sometimes known-sometimes unknown. The consequences after alterations of these functions have to be investigated in several ways, i.e., both with regard to local and distal effects on the host organism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two cases of post-infectious IBS were successfully treated with transplantation of an anaerobic cultivated human intestinal microbiota. This suggests that a dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota could be the culprit at least in some cases of IBS. Resetting the gut microbiota might be a possible solution for these patients that otherwise may face a life-long reduction in quality of life. Studies have suggested that conditions as varied as chronic constipation, metabolic syndrome, autoimmunity, asthma, cardiovascular disease and Crohn's disease may be caused by intestinal dysbiosis. If this is the case we would like to suggest a new term: Dysbiotic Bowel Syndrome (DBS).

Although it is well established that early infant feeding has a major influence on the establishment of the gut microbiota, very little is understood about how the introduction of first solid food influences the colonization process. This study aimed to determine the impact of weaning on the faecal microbiota composition of infants from five European countries (Sweden, Scotland, Germany, Italy and Spain) which have different lifestyle characteristics and infant feeding practices. Faecal samples were collected from 605 infants approximately 4 weeks after the introduction of first solid foods and the results were compared with the same infants before weaning (6 weeks of age) to investigate the association with determining factors such as geographical origin, mode of delivery, previous feeding method and age of weaning. Samples were analysed by fluorescence in situ hybridization and flow cytometry using a panel of 10 rRNA targeted group- and species-specific oligonucleotide probes. The genus Bifidobacterium (36.5 % average proportion of total detectable bacteria), Clostridium coccoides group (14 %) and Bacteroides (13.6 %) were predominant after weaning. Similar to pre-weaning, northern European countries were associated with a higher proportion of bifidobacteria in the infant gut microbiota while higher levels of Bacteroides and lactobacilli characterized southern European countries. As before weaning, the initial feeding method influenced the Clostridium leptum group and Clostridium difficile+Clostridium perfringens species, and bifidobacteria still dominated the faeces of initially breast-fed infants. Formula-fed babies presented significantly higher proportions of Bacteroides and the C. coccoides group. The mode of birth influenced changes in the proportions of bacteroides and atopobium. Although there were significant differences in the mean weaning age between countries, this was not related to the populations of bifidobacteria or bacteroides. Thus, although the faecal microbiota of infants after first complementary foods was different to that before weaning commenced, many of the initial influences on microbiota composition were still evident.