**Section 1**

**Emerging Impact of Probiotics in Gastroenterology** 

**1** 

*Italy* 

**Intestinal Microbial Flora –** 

Pasqua Betta\* and Giovanna Vitaliti *U.O UTIN, Department of Pediatrics,* 

*University of Catania* 

**Effect of Probiotics in Newborns** 

The surface of the human gut has a surplus area of 200-250 m2 in order to contain, between intraepithelial lymphocytes and lamina propria, Peyer's patches and lymphoid follicles, the lymphoid tissue, while hosts a flora of about 800 different bacteria species with over 7000 strains. The 99% are obligate anaerobes and varies species were then classified using traditional anaerobic culture techniques. More than 50% of the dominant gut microbiota (corresponding to 10 8-10 11 per gram of faeces) cannot be identified using traditional colture ,but molecular approaches, based on the use of 165 ribosomal DNA molecular (Mai & Morris, 2004). Most of these bacteria colonizes the large intestine (in a range of 10-12 bacteria/g). The bacterial count of the small intestine (duodedum and jejunum) is considerably lower (approximately 104-7 bacteria/ml) than Streptococcus Lactobacillus,

The main bacterial species represented in the human large intestine (colon) are distributed with densities higher than 10 9-11 per gram of contents, and these high densities can be explained by the slow transit and low redox potential . In this intestinal tract we can mostly find bifidobacteria and bacteroides ,bifidobacterium clostridium. The fecal microbiota contains 10 9 \_10 11 CFU per gram, and microorganism in about 40% of their weight. The dominant microbiota is represented by strict anaerobes , while the sub-dominant microbiota by facultative anaerobes. In addition to the resident microbiota (dominant and sub dominant), the faeces contain the transient microbiota, that is extremely variable, including Enterobacteriacee (Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Proteus ) and Enterobacter (Pseudomonas) and

The normal human microflora is a complex ecosystem that somehow depends on enteric nutrients for establishing colonization. At birth ,the digestive tract is sterile. This balance of the intestinal microflora is similar to that of adult from about two years of age (Hammerman

Enterobacteriaceae corresponding to the transient microbiota.

yeast ( Candida) CFU per gram (Table 1) (Zoetendal et al, 2004).

**2. Intestinal microbiota in newborn** 

et al, 2004).

Corresponding Author

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**1. Introduction** 
