Access Type

Open Access Thesis

Date of Award

January 2017

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Department

Nutrition and Food Science

First Advisor

Kequan Zhou

Abstract

Gut microbiota play a crucial role in maintaining intestinal health and integrity; a feature that is both heritable, as well as affected by the environment and lifestyle. Probiotics are supplements containing live microorganisms that act in a similar manner to gut microflora, and maintain a balance in the latter. C. minuta is a novel bacterium in the gut that was found to be associated with reduction in body weight and adiposity. The aim of this study was to determine the possible effects of different prebiotics on C. minuta growth, and the survival of C. minuta in response to different antibiotics. Six different prebiotics, GOS, FOS, GG, AG, IMO and inulin were added to C. minuta culture, and growth was compared in the presence and absence of dextrose; at different ratios. Apart from optimal growth noted in the presence of solely dextrose, the sample containing GOS alone came in second in optimizing C. minuta growth. the mixture of AG and dextrose appeared to optimize C. minuta growth; in contrast to the slight enhancing activity seen by AG alone. When survival was tested in the presence of six antibiotics at 4 different concentrations, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, azithromycin, erythromycin, oxytetracycline and ciprofloxacin, C. minuta showed to be susceptible to oxytetracycline at a concentration as low as 1μg/mL; and higher concentrations of ciprofloxacin. Erythromycin appeared to slow down or reduce growth compared to sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and azithromycin.

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