Mining the microbiota of the neonatal gastrointestinal tract of conjugated linoleic acid-producing bifidobacteria

The strains of the genus Bifidobacterium was isolated and genomically characterized, by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, from infant feces so that the genetically distinct strains could be assessed for their ability to produce the beneficial fatty acid conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) from free linoleic acid. The ability of particular strains to efficiently produce CLA influences the choice of bifidobacteria for supplementation in neonatal infants at risk of necrotizing enterocolitis.