Search results for "Biota"
showing 10 items of 679 documents
Interaction of dietary polyphenols and gut microbiota: Microbial metabolism of polyphenols, influence on the gut microbiota, and implications on host…
2020
Abstract The human gastrointestinal tract is inhabited by a vast number of microorganisms that are called as the microbiota. Each individual harbors a unique gut microbial composition, this composition evolves throughout the host's lifetime and it is easily affected by internal or external changes. It has been shown that gut microbiota plays a crucial role in host's health and as this complex community has the ability to interact with each other and with the host's immune system, the presence or absence of some major species can affect the homeostasis. Diet can be considered as one of the pivotal factors in modulating the functionality, integrity, and composition of the gut microbiota as th…
Trophic Transfer of Trace Elements in an Isotopically Constructed Food Chain From a Semi-enclosed Marine Coastal Area (Stagnone di Marsala, Sicily, M…
2012
Trace element accumulation is particularly important in coastal and transitional environments, which act as contaminant buffers between the continental and marine systems. We compared trace element transfer to the biota in two locations with different open-sea exposures in a semi-enclosed marine coastal area (Stagnone di Marsala, Sicily, Italy) using isotopically reconstructed food chains. Samples of sediment, macroalgae, seagrasses, invertebrates, fish, and bird feathers were sampled in July 2006 and analysed for stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ(13)C, δ(15)N) and trace elements (arsenic [As], cadmium [Cd], total mercury [THg], and lead [Pb]). Trophic magnification factors were calcul…
DIVERSITÀ BATTERICA DI SUOLI MEDITERRANEI SOGGETTI A DESERTIFICAZIONE
2021
Siccità e fenomeni meteorologici estremi contribuiscono al degrado dei suoli mediterranei semi-aridi causando erosione, compattazione, salinizzazione, riduzione della sostanza organica e perdita di biodiversità, con conseguenze negative per l’agricoltura e l’ambiente. Gli effetti dei cambiamenti climatici in atto sono esacerbati da pratiche agronomiche insostenibili e pascolo incontrollato che concorrono alla desertificazione dei suoli. E’ fondamentale monitorare la qualità dei suoli semi-aridi per prevenirne il degrado irreversibile. Tale monitoraggio viene usualmente condotto mediante i tradizionali indicatori chimico-fisici di qualità del suolo. Ancora raramente vengono utilizzati indica…
Desarrollo de Streptococcus dentisani sp. nov, como probiótico para la salud bucodental
2018
Las enfermedades orales como la caries se encuentran entre las más prevalentes en todo el mundo y se desarrollan como consecuencia de una disbiosis microbiana. Probablemente por esta naturaleza polimicrobiana y altamente variable, las aproximaciones de inmunización no son efectivas, y el uso de pre y probióticos que restablezcan la homeostasis han sido propuestas como alternativas prometedoras. Durante años se han probado varias cepas bacterianas como posibles organismos promotores de la salud oral, pero generalmente son especies aisladas de nichos distintos al sitio donde deben ejercer su acción probiótica final, típicamente de muestras fecales. Nuestra hipótesis defiende que los comensale…
Life under the sun: microbial ecology and applications of the solar panel microbiota
2021
El mundo procariota es vasto y diverso, y aún queda una gran fracción por explorar. La diversidad microbiana es el resultado de la evolución y la adaptación. Esta diversidad nos proporciona un increíble arsenal de herramientas únicas y útiles que se pueden utilizar en una amplia gama de aplicaciones industriales y farmacéuticas. La búsqueda de estas herramientas biológicas es lo que conocemos como bioprospección y, teniendo en cuenta que hasta la fecha sólo se ha explorado una fracción de la diversidad microbiana global, el número de cepas, herramientas genéticas o metabolitos con aplicaciones en biotecnología o en biomedicina que aún quedan por descubrir es abrumador. Esto abre una gran op…
The Microbiota Is Not an Organ: Introducing the Muco-Microbiotic Layer as a Novel Morphofunctional Structure
2022
In this paper, we want to refute the notion that the microbiota should be considered an organ, given that an organ comprises tissue of similar or different embryological origin, while the microbiota is a pool of different microbial species originating individually from single replications and not from a common ancestral cellular element. Hence, we would like to propose a new morphological interpretation of its nature, based on the comprehensive context in which these microbes live: a muco-microbiotic layer of hollow organs, such as the airways and the bowel. The above concept should represent not only a new terminological annotation but also a more accurate portrayal of the physiology and p…
Properties and structure of raised bog peat humic acids
2013
Abstract Humic substances form most of the organic components of soil, peat and natural waters, and their structure and properties differ very much depending on their source. The aims of this study are to characterize humic acids (HAs) from raised bog peat, to evaluate the homogeneity of peat HAs within peat profiles, and to study peat humification impact on properties of HAs. A major impact on the structure of peat HAs have lignin-free raised bog biota (dominantly represented by bryophytes of different origin). On diagenesis scale, peat HAs have an intermediate position between the living organic matter and coal organic matter, and their structure is formed in a process in which more labil…
Role of peat organic matter on isotopic composition of most abundant benthic organisms in intertidal habitats of SW Iceland
2008
The transfer of peat organic matter (OM) from tidal pools of upper littoral to downstream rocky shores and its potential incorporation into marine biota were investigated using the stable isotope approach. Samplings were carried out in September 2004 in two SW Icelandic sites (Osar and Hvassahraun), where we selected (1) areas with shores where grass gently declined towards rocks and, on reaching the sea line, formed small tidal peat pools and (2) areas where grass and rocky shores were not contiguous, rather the grass lower limits were several hundreds of meters back from the shore. In both grass and no grass areas, in the intertidal zone, all benthic organisms and all potential OM sources…
Omega-3 PUFAs and gut microbiota: A preventive approach for colorectal cancer
2021
The influence of diet on the composition of the intestinal microbiota and related pathologies has been known for some time. Some classes of nutrients, such as fatty acids belonging to the omega 3 series, have particular effects on the bacteria that make up the intestinal microbiota. ω-3 PUFAs affect the gut microbiota in three different ways: by modulating the type and abundance of intestinal bacteria, by regulate SCFAs levels, and by alter the levels of proinflammatory mediators. Through these modalities, ω-3 PUFAs could be useful for the prevention of intestinal diseases such as Colorectal Cancer (CRC). The ability of ω-3 PUFAs to modulate the intestinal inflammatory response, to preserve…
Long-term Effects of Bioaccumulation in Ecosystems
2005
Extensive damage to organisms and declines in wildlife populations have been observed together with long-term bioaccumulation and biomagnification of persistent xenobiotic chemicals. Heavy metals, especially organic or biomethylated mercury, lead, cadmium and organic tin compounds have caused environmental damage through bioaccumulation on a local scale. Effects on wildife caused by bioaccumulation of persistent organochlorine compounds are more widespread. However, the causal relationship between a biomagnified compound and the long-term effects have been established in only a few cases. Metabolic transformations, and occurrence of several toxic contaminants together in many cases, complic…