Everyone occasionally has the sensation of a
traffic jam in the digestive system. The human
gastrointestinal tract, although hardy, can be
stalled by a variety of conditions. Sometimes
our metabolism slows down with age, and foods
that we used to enjoy become irritating. Various
illnesses and medications can also contribute to
digestive upset. In the field of microbiology,
where probiotics such as Bifidobacteria are
studied, many discoveries about the microflora
of the colon have helped to explain how food is
broken down within the human body. With the
assistance of Bifidobacteria or Bifidus and
other similar micro-organisms, our bodies are
able to metabolize sugars and regulate the acid
versus alkali balance or pH factor of the GI
tract. By encouraging helpful microflora to
colonize the GI tract, a mechanism for boosting
digestive functionality has been confirmed by
many scientific studies.
Bifidus is a genus or group of species, with 32
species currently known in this group. Several
of the species are better-known due to their
frequent use in foods such as dairy and bakery
products; Bifidobacteria Breve (B Breve), B
Longum, B Dentium, B Lactis and B Infantis are a
few of the species in this group. Bifidus or
Bifidobacteria at the microscopic level look
like small trees with spatulas or rods for
branches. These microflora contribute to the
degradation of undigested polysaccharides in the
human colon; in other words, they act as
decomposers along the roadway of the digestive
system. Without the healthy functioning of
Bifidus bacteria, irritation and irregularity
can become more than an occasional problem.
Moreover, the metabolism of the host is somewhat
dependent on the metabolism of the microflora in
the intestines and colon. Without their ability
to break down partially-digested food, our
bodies would lack the necessary tools to achieve
According to a 2006 study at the University of
Belgium, Bifidobacteria have been found to
contain genes that encode enzymes involved in
the production of acids from carbohydrates. This
is one of the major functions of the human
digestive system, which happens to be conducted
through a symbiotic relationship with bacteria.
From sugars in the intestine and colon, Bifidus
bacteria produce metabolytes including acetic
acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, formic acid,
and ethanol. Changes in the bacteria's end
product formation can be related to the specific
rate of sugar consumption, according the the
Belgian study. Bifidobacteria preferentially use
the short fractions of oligofructose rapidly.
However, other microflora prefer to break down
different types of sugar. In this manner, a
combination of bacteria residing within the
human gut zooms in on their various preferred
fuel types in order to keep things moving along
the roadways of the digestive system.
By adding acid to the GI tract as an endproduct
of their metabolism, helpful bacteria appear to
reduce the opportunities for pathogens to take
hold and exploit this environment. Many
pathogens prefer a lower acid (or higher pH)
environment. With an increase in the Bifidus
bacteria's metabolic activity, a decrease in
harmful bacteria appears to occur. Therefore,
diet additives that encourage the diversity of
microflora in the colon are also helpful in
eliminating toxins efficiently, thanks to the
impressive metabolism of certain bacterial
The metabolism of Bifidus bacteria was first
discovered in 1966 by a scientist named
Chiappini. Since that time, genome projects have
isolated particular genes and enzymes within
bacteria that may be helpful to human digestion
and metabolism (Duncan, et al, 2002 and 2004).
More recent studies where Bifidus bacteria are
deliberately encouraged to overpopulate by
fermentation have isolated some of their
strengths and weaknesses in metabolizing certain
types of sugars. With this type of research
generating new discoveries daily, opportunities
are exploding for therapeutic and preventative
food supplements to be found among the various
strains of Bifidus or Bifidobacteria.
1. Roel Van der Meulen, Tom Adriany, Kristof
Verbrugghe, and Luc De Vuyst. "Kinetic Analysis
of Bifidobacterial Metabolism Reveals a Minor
Role for Succinic Acid in the Regeneration of
NAD+ through Its Growth-Associated
Production." 2006. Research Group of Industrial
Microbiology and Food Biotechnology (IMDO),
Department of Applied Biological Sciences and
Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel,
Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
2. Chiappini, M. G. 1966. "Carbon dioxide
fixation in some strains of the species
Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium
constellatum, Actinomyces bovis and Actinomyces
israelii." Annals of Microbiology. 16:25-32.
3. De Vries, W., and H. Stouthamer. 1968.
"Fermentation of glucose, lactose, galactose,
mannitol, and xylose by bifidobacteria." Journal
of Bacteriology. 96:472-478.
4. Duncan, S. H., A. Barcenilla, C. S. Stewart,
S. E. Pryde, and H. J. Flint. 2002. "Acetate
utilization and butyryl coenzyme A (CoA):
acetate-CoA transferase in butyrate-producing
bacteria from the human large intestine."
Applied Environ. Microbiology. 68:5186-5190.
5. Duncan, S. H., P. Louis, and H. J. Flint.
2004. "Lactate-utilizing bacteria, isolated from
human feces, that produce butyrate as a major
fermentation product." Applied Environ.
6. Fooks, L. J., R. Fuller, and G. R. Gibson.
1999. "Prebiotics, probiotics and human gut
microbiology." International Dairy Journal.
7. Franks, A. H., H. J. M. Harmsen, G. C. Raangs,
G. J. Jansen, F. Schut, and G. W. Welling. 1998.
"Variations of bacterial populations in human
feces measured by fluorescent in situ
hybridization with group-specific 16S rRNA-targeted
oligonucleotide probes." Applied Environ.
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