GUT FLORA

Influence on health and improvement

 AGENDA

Normal Microbiota

Gut flora

Importance

Factors affecting gut flora

Diseases associated
Treatment
GUT FLORA
• In human gastrointestinal microbiota, exists a complex ecosystem of
approximately 300 to 500 bacterial species.
• The four dominant phyla in the human gut are Firmicutes,
Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria.
DISTRIBUTION OF GUT FLORA IN DIGESTIVE
TRACT

Protective function
Pathogen displacement
Nutrient and receptor
competition with pathogen
Production of antimicrobial
factors
Eg: Bacteriocins, Lactic acids
IMPORTANCE
Structural function Metabolic function
Barrier fortification Metabolize dietary
carcinogens
Induction of IgA Antibody Synthesize vitamins
Eg: Vitamin-K, Biotin, Folate
Immunomodulation Ferments non- digestible
dietary residue
Iron absorption
 FACTORS AFFECTING GUT FLORA
• A diet lacking in a variety of different whole foods.
• Lack of prebiotics in the diet.
• Drinking too much alcohol.
• Antibiotic use.
• Lack of regular physical activity.
• Cigarette smoking.
• Not getting enough sleep.
• Too much stress.
DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH DISTURBANCE -
GUT FLORA
 INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE
• IBD is characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal
tract.
• Patients with IBD found to have an reduced members of firmicutes and
bacteroidetes and an increase in proteobacteria and actinobacteria.
• IBD microbiome was found to be inflammation promoting, with
indications of increased oxidative stress, type II toxin secretion and
virulence related bacterial genes.
• It includes Ulcerative colitis(UC) and Crohn’s disease(CD). Ulcerative
colitis is seen in large intestine. Crohn’s disease occurs in small intestine
where it is inflamed and ulcerated (marked with sores).
 CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF IBD
Causes:
• Dysbiosis of the gut
• Continuous inappropriate antigenic stimulation of gut mucosa-
associated lymphatic tissue (MALT) by commensal microbes.
Symptoms:
• Diarrhea, nausea, weight loss, loss of appetite, fever and
abdominal pain
 CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE INFECTION
• Inflammation of the colon caused by the bacteria Clostridium
difficile.
• C.difficile colitis results from disruption of normal, healthy
bacteria in the colon, often as a result of antibiotics.
• It can also be transmitted from person to person by spores.
• Symptoms include diarrhea, dehydration, blood/pus in the
stool, kidney failure, bowel rupture and fatal too.
 COLON CANCER
• A cancer of the colon or rectum.
• High abundance of clostridium leptum and clostridium
coccoides .
• Symptoms include changes in bowel habits, changes in stool
consistency, blood in the stool and abdominal discomfort.
• Common treatments include surgery to remove the cancer,
chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
 FAECAL MICROBIOTA TRANSPLANTATION
• Solution of faecal matter from a donor into the intestinal tract
of a recipient in order to directly change the recipient’s
microbial composition and confer a health benefit.
• 90% effective in treating the C.difficile infection in patients
who had failed to respond to antibiotic treatment.
FECAL TRANSPLANT
THERAPY
FAECAL MICROBIOTA
TRANSPLANTATION
Yashaswini
M.Sc
Bio-Technology

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