title: Bifidobacteria from the gastrointestinal tract of animals: differences and similarities.
abstract: At present, the genus Bifidobacterium includes 48 species and subspecies, and this number is expected to increase. Bifidobacteria are found in different ecological niches. However, most were originally isolated from animals, mainly mammals, especially during the milk feeding period of life. Their presence in high numbers is associated with good health of the host. Moreover, bifidobacteria are often found in poultry and insects that exhibit a social mode of life (honeybees and bumblebees). This review is designed as a summary of currently known species of the genus Bifidobacterium, especially focused on their difference and similarities. The primary focus is on their occurrence in the digestive tract of animals, as well as the specificities of animal strains, with regard to their potential use as probiotics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 16521 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bunesova
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 16521 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vlkova
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 16521 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rada
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 16521 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Vídeňská 1083, 14200 Prague 4-Krč, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Killer
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 16521 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Musilova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007313:Insecta; D011200:Poultry
keywords: animals; bifidobacteria; diversity; occurrence; probiotics