Bifidobacterium bifidum
| Bifidobacterium bifidum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Actinobacteria |
| Class: | Actinobacteria |
| Order: | Bifidobacteriales |
| Family: | Bifidobacteriaceae |
| Genus: | Bifidobacterium |
| Species: | B. bifidum |
| Binomial name | |
| Bifidobacterium bifidum | |
Bifidobacterium bifidum is a bacterial species of the Bifidobacterium genus. B. bifidum is one of the most common probiotic bacteria that can be found in the body of mammals, including humans.
Structure and characteristics
Since B. bifidum is a Gram-positive bacterium that is not motile, anaerobic, and not spore-forming. The bacterium is rod-shaped and can be found living in clusters, pairs, or even independently. The majority of the population of B. bifidum is found in the colon, lower small intestine, breast milk, and often in the vagina.
Benefits
The use of B. bifidum in probiotic applications may reduce the chances of acute diarrhea and the risk of E. coli infections, and contributes to the maintenance of vaginal homeostasis.[1]
Health concerns
The manipulation of the gut flora is complex and may cause bacteria-host interactions.[2] Although probiotics, in general, are considered safe, there are concerns about their use in certain cases.[2][3] Some people, such as those with compromised immune systems, short bowel syndrome, central venous catheters, heart valve disease and premature infants, may be at higher risk for adverse events.[4] Rarely, consumption of probiotics may cause bacteremia, and sepsis, potentially fatal infections in children with lowered immune systems or who are already critically ill.[5]
Transmission
B. bifidum can be found in breast milk. Breast feeding is one way to transmit the bacteria from mother to child. B. bifidum is found in the vagina; some studies show that vaginal births transmit more B.bifidum from mother to child than caesarean births. Transmission of B. bifidium allows a child to begin production of microflora which helps to colonize the child’s intestines after birth.
References
- ↑ Selle K, Klaenhammer TR (2013). "Genomic and phenotypic evidence for probiotic influences of Lactobacillus gasseri on human health". FEMS Microbiol Rev (Review). 37 (6): 915–35. doi:10.1111/1574-6976.12021. PMID 23488471.
- 1 2 Durchschein F, Petritsch W, Hammer HF (2016). "Diet therapy for inflammatory bowel diseases: The established and the new.". World J Gastroenterol (Review). 22 (7): 2179–94. doi:10.3748/wjg.v22.i7.2179. PMC 4734995
. PMID 26900283. - ↑ Boyle RJ, Robins-Browne RM, Tang ML (2006). "Probiotic use in clinical practice: what are the risks?". Am J Clin Nutr (Review). 83 (6): 1256–64; quiz 1446–7. PMID 16762934.
- ↑ Doron S, Snydman DR (2015). "Risk and safety of probiotics.". Clin Infect Dis (Review). 60 Suppl 2: S129–34. doi:10.1093/cid/civ085. PMC 4490230. PMID 25922398.
- ↑ Singhi SC, Kumar S (2016). "Probiotics in critically ill children.". F1000Res (Review). 5. doi:10.12688/f1000research.7630.1. PMC 4813632. PMID 27081478.