Anaerobic bacteria in the intestinal microbiota of Brazilian children

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:Changes in the neonatal gut environment allow for the colonization of the mucin layer and lumen by anaerobic bacteria. The aim of the present study was to evaluate Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Lactococcus colonization through the first year of life in a group of 12 Brazilian infants and to correlate these data with the levels of Escherichia coli. The presence of anaerobic members of the adult intestinal microbiota, including Eubacterium limosum and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, was also evaluated.METHODS:Fecal samples were collected during the first year of life, and 16S rRNA from anaerobic and facultative bacteria was detected by real-time PCR.RESULTS:Bifidobacterium was present at the highest levels at all of the studied time points, followed by E. coli and Lactobacillus. E. limosum was rarely detected, and F. prausnitzii was detected only in the samples from the latest time points.CONCLUSION:These results are consistent with reports throughout the world on the community structure of the intestinal microbiota in infants fed a milk diet. Our findings also provide evidence for the influence of the environment on intestinal colonization due to the high abundance of E. coli. The presence of important anaerobic genera was observed in Brazilian infants living at a low socioeconomic level, a result that has already been well established for infants living in developed countries.

Lactate-utilizing community is associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis in colicky infants

“…These strains represent three main lactate utilization pathways with different end products. In a recent Brazilian cohort study of 12 infants in the first year of life, E. limosum were detected by qPCR in fecal samples four infants, suggesting the early colonization of this genus 27 . V. ratti dominated the butyrate-producer E. limosum in this co-culture, which could be explained by the fast growth of Veillonella compared to E. limosum in lactate medium).…”

“…Among the LUB community, H 2 -producing Veillonella were identified as one of the keystone genera. Other LUB were also identified, such as the butyrate-producer Eubacterium hallii , which also produces H 2 , or SRB that produce H 2 S. In a recent Brazilian cohort study of 12 infants, lactate-utilizing, butyrate-producing E. limosum were detected in fecal samples of four infants, suggesting the colonization of this genus in the first year of life 27 . Interestingly, metabolic cross-feeding of H 2 was demonstrated within the LUB community in the Swiss cohort, where H 2 produced by Veillonella and E. hallii serves as a preferable substrate for SRB like Desulfovibrio piger 26 .…”

Live Faecalibacterium prausnitzii Does Not Enhance Epithelial Barrier Integrity in an Apical Anaerobic Co-Culture Model of the Large Intestine

“…Much of this process is regulated by diet (e.g., breast milk versus infant formula), which in turn influences the colonization patterns of the early microbiota and their interactions with the host [ 13 ]. F. prausnitzii colonizes the large intestine between six and 12 months of life [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], so it is likely to have an impact on intestinal maturation during weaning.…”

Human behavior, not race or geography, is the strongest predictor of microbial succession in the gut bacteriome of infants

“…However, it should be noted that the Swedish infants were all breastfed and vaginally birthed whereas the Pakistani infants often started breastfeeding late and incompletely and were delivered both by vaginal and C-section. Still, other studies from Pakistan, 109 Ethiopia, 105 Brazil, 95 Singapore, 32 and Guatemala 110 all similarly report ‘classical’ colonization patterns with high enterobacteria observed. While colonization of enterobacteria such as E. coli is thought to signify fecal contamination, Adlerberth et al 109 found that the high enterobacteria in Pakistani infants were likely derived from the environment as fewer than 50% of the Escherichia strains matched the mothers but could be found in the immediate home environment.…”

“…In Brazil, it was reported that Bifidobacteria spp. predominated the infant gut regardless of diet 95 and in India, it was reported that supplemental feeding associated with a reduction in Enterobacteriaceae. 20 Discrepancies between these findings could be attributed to differences in methodology, age, geographic location or mode of birth; however, a more likely explanation is differences in the formulas themselves.…”