Diversity of bifidobacteria within the infant gut microbiota.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) represents one of the most densely populated microbial ecosystems studied to date. Although this microbial consortium has been recognized to have a crucial impact on human health, its precise composition is still subject to intense investigation. Among the GIT microbiota, bifidobacteria represent an important commensal group, being among the first microbial colonizers of the gut. However, the prevalence and diversity of members of the genus Bifidobacterium in the infant intestinal microbiota has not yet been fully characterized, while some inconsistencies exist in literature regarding the abundance of this genus.

Methods/principal findings

In the current report, we assessed the complexity of the infant intestinal bifidobacter

SUBMITTER: Turroni F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3350489 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature