title: Fecal Microbiota in Healthy Subjects Following Omnivore, Vegetarian and Vegan Diets: Culturable Populations and rRNA DGGE Profiling.
abstract: In this study, the fecal microbiota of 153 healthy volunteers, recruited from four different locations in Italy, has been studied by coupling viable counts, on different microbiological media, with ribosomal RNA Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (rRNA-DGGE). The volunteers followed three different diets, namely omnivore, ovo-lacto-vegetarian and vegan. The results obtained from culture-dependent and -independent methods have underlined a high level of similarity of the viable fecal microbiota for the three investigated diets. The rRNA DGGE profiles were very complex and comprised a total number of bands that varied from 67 to 64 for the V3 and V9 regions of the 16S rRNA gene, respectively. Only a few bands were specific in/of all three diets, and the presence of common taxa associated with the dietary habits was found. As far as the viable counts are concerned, the high similarity of the fecal microbiota was once again confirmed, with only a few of the investigated groups showing significant differences. Interestingly, the samples grouped differently, according to the recruitment site, thus highlighting a higher impact of the food consumed by the volunteers in the specific geographical locations than that of the type of diet. Lastly, it should be mentioned that the fecal microbiota DGGE profiles obtained from the DNA were clearly separated from those produced using RNA, thus underlining a difference between the total and viable populations in the fecal samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Science, University of Turin, Largo P. Braccini n°2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilario
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ferrocino
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil, Plant and Food Science, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Amendola 165/a, 70126, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Cagno
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil, Plant and Food Science, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Amendola 165/a, 70126, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Angelis
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turroni
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, viale Fanin 50, 40127, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vannini
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 49/A, 43124, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bancalari
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Science, University of Turin, Largo P. Braccini n°2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy.
authors.forename: Kalliopi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rantsiou
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutrical Sciences Università of Perugia, Via Borgo 20 Giugno, 74 06123, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cardinali
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 49/A, 43124, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Erasmo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Neviani
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Science, University of Turin, Largo P. Braccini n°2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cocolin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D058645:Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis; D004032:Diet; D000067269:Diet, Vegan; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D064307:Microbiota; D008875:Middle Aged