by Aditi Jain
Dr. Karthik Raman’s research team from IIT Madras has been working to understand the role played by a specific class of bacteria called Bifidobacteria in the human gut. Recently, they published their research findings in the journal Scientific Reports. Members of Bifidobacteria had earlier shown to be present in the intestine and oral cavity of humans, intestines of insects and in sewage. These bacteria have a number of enzyme-coding genes associated with the metabolism of complex and non-digestible carbohydrates such as milk and plant fibers. They are also known to produce vitamins and antimicrobial substances, regulate the immune system, perform anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory activities which piqued the team’s interest in bacteria.
“Among the plethora of other microbes, our study focused on the members of the genus Bifidobacteria due to their health-promoting properties and probiotic effects. As it is well established that Bifidobacteria confer positive health benefits to the human host, there is a pressing need to understand the metabolism of bifidobacteria,” said Dr. Karthik Raman, Associate Professor at IIT Madras and the leader of the research team.
Read the full blog article at: https://tech-talk.iitm.ac.in/need-better-digestion-these-small-bugs-in-your-gut-may-help-you/