title: Characterization of Bacillus species used for oral bacteriotherapy and bacterioprophylaxis of gastrointestinal disorders.
abstract: Bacillus subtilis spores are being used for oral bacteriotherapy and bacterioprophylaxis of gastrointestinal disorders in both humans and animals. Since B. subtilis is an aerobic saprophyte, how spores may benefit the gut microbiota is an intriguing question, since other probiotics such as Lactobacillus spp. which colonize the gut are anerobes. As a first step in understanding the potential effects of ingesting spores, we have characterized five commercial products. An extensive biochemical, physiological, and phylogenetic analysis has revealed that four of these products are mislabeled. Moreover, four of these products showed high levels of antibiotic resistance.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: N T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Hoa
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baccigalupi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huxham
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smertenko
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Van
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ammendola
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ricca
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Cutting
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001407:Bacillus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010802:Phylogeny; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S