Composition and Variation of the Human Milk Microbiota Are Influenced by Maternal and Early-Life Factors

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Fasting-Mimicking Diet Modulates Microbiota and Promotes Intestinal Regeneration to Reduce Inflammatory Bowel Disease Pathology

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Simplified Intestinal Microbiota to Study Microbe-Diet-Host Interactions in a Mouse Model

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Artificial selection of stable rhizosphere microbiota leads to heritable plant phenotype changes

Artificial selection of microbiota opens new avenues for improving plants. However, reported results lack consistency. We hypothesised that the success in artificial selection of microbiota depends on the stabilisation of community structure. In a ten-generation experiment involving 1,800 plants, we selected rhizosphere microbiota of Brachypodium distachyon associated with high or low leaf greenness, a proxy of plant performance. The microbiota structure showed strong fluctuations during an initial transitory phase, with no detectable leaf greenness heritability. After five generations, the microbiota structure stabilised, concomitantly with heritability in leaf greenness. Selection, initially ineffective, did successfully alter the selected property as intended, especially for high selection. We show a remarkable correlation between the variability in plant traits and selected microbiota structures, revealing two distinct sub-communities associated with high or low leaf greenness, whose abundance was significantly steered by directional selection. Understanding microbiota structure stabilisation will improve the reliability of artificial microbiota selection.     

Role of yeasts in the qualitative structuring of extra virgin olive oil

This review sought to describe the role played by some components of the microbiota of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), particularly yeasts, in structuring the physicochemical and sensorial quality of freshly produced olive oil. Yeasts can survive during the entire storage period of the product. To date, approximately 25 yeast species isolated from oil produced in more than six countries have been identified, eight of which are classified as new species. Some yeast species improve the health qualities of oil, whereas many others improve the chemical composition and sensory characteristics based on β-glucosidase and esterase enzymes, which are involved in the hydrolysis of the bitter glucoside known as oleuropein. However, some species, which are typically favoured by the high water content in the oily matrix, such as lipase-producing yeasts, can worsen the initial chemical characteristics of EVOO oil during storage. Some physical treatments that are compatible with the EVOO production specification affect the biotic component of the oil by reducing the concentration of yeasts. The possibility of minimizing the invasive action on the biotic component of the oil by appropriately selecting the physical treatment for each oil is discussed.