title: Functional foods and paediatric gastro-intestinal health and disease.
abstract: The application of molecular methods to gastro-intestinal diseases is giving insight into the way in which the resident intestinal microbiota interacts with the mucosal immune system. Using traditional culture techniques, the importance of mucosally-associated bacterial biofilms in maintaining mucosal integrity has been demonstrated in ways previously impossible. Changes in the balance of organisms at initiation of and during disease provide a rationale for interventions with functional foods which facilitate re-establishment of the homeostasis of healthy gut.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, University of Sheffield, UK. c.j.taylor1@sheffield.ac.uk
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mahenthiralingam
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018441:Biofilms; D002648:Child; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D007444:Inulin; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D019936:Probiotics
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D009844:Oligosaccharides; C120489:oligofructose; D007444:Inulin