Title
Bifidobacteria: Genetic modification and the study of their role in the colon
Author
van der Werf, M.
Venema, K.
TNO Voeding
Publication year
2001
Abstract
Bifidobacteria are among the most common bacteria in the human intestine and are thought to have a positive effect on human health. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in using these microorganisms as probiotics, either in fermented dairy products or formulated as tablets. However, convincing scientific data supporting their health claims are scarce. The study of the role of bifidobacteria in the colon is complicated by the fact that they are part of a complex ecosystem also interacting with the human host and by the fact that their in vivo study encounters many ethical constraints. Several tools have been developed at TNO with which the role of bifidobacteria can be studied. These include (i) an efficient transformation protocol for the introduction of foreign DNA into Bifidobacterium strains and (ii) in vitro models of the stomach/small intestine (TIM-1) and large intestine (TIM-2), creating an environment closely resembling that of the in vivo situation. With these tools, biomarkers from bifidobacteria quantifying their positive effect on gut health can be identified.
Subject
Nutrition
In vitro gastrointestinal model
Prebiotics
Transformation
Probiotic agent
Bacterium transformation
Biological model
Colon flora
DNA modification
DNA vector
Gastrointestinal tract
Genetic transfection
Health promotion
Human
Nonhuman
Plasmid
Small intestine
Stomach
Bifidobacterium
Colon
Genetic Engineering
Genetic Vectors
Health Promotion
Humans
Models, Biological
Plasmids
Probiotics
Transfection
Bacteria (microorganisms)
Bifidobacterium
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:4b0f280e-13c6-46a9-8ef2-2e3e3c6db785
TNO identifier
42472
Source
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 49 (1), 378-383
Document type
article