The effect of vegetarian diets on faecal microbiota has been explored largely through culture-based techniques. The present study compared the faecal microbiota of vegetarian and omnivorous young women in southern India. Faecal samples were obtained from thirty-two lacto-vegetarian and twenty-four omnivorous young adult women from a similar social and economic background. Macronutrient intake and anthropometric data were collected. Faecal microbiota of interest was quantified by real-time PCR with SYBR Green using primers targeting 16S rRNA genes of groups, including: Clostridium coccoides group (Clostridium cluster XIVa), Roseburia spp. -Eubacterium rectale, Bacteroides -Prevotella group, Bifidobacterium genus, Lactobacillus group, Clostridium leptum group (Clostridium cluster IV), Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Ruminococcus productus-C. coccoides, Butyrivibrio, Enterococcus species and Enterobacteriaceae. The groups were matched for age, socio-economic score and anthropometric indices. Intake of energy, complex carbohydrates and Ca were significantly higher in the omnivorous group. The faecal microbiota of the omnivorous group was enriched with Clostridium cluster XIVa bacteria, specifically Roseburia -E. rectale. The relative proportions of other microbial communities were similar in both groups. The butyryl-CoA CoA-transferase gene, associated with microbial butyrate production, was present in greater amounts in the faeces of omnivores, and the levels were highly correlated with Clostridium cluster XIVa and Roseburia-E. rectale abundance and to a lesser extent with Clostridium leptum and F. prausnitzii abundance and with crude fibre intake. Omnivores had an increased relative abundance of Clostridium cluster XIVa bacteria and butyryl-CoA CoA-transferase gene compared with vegetarians, but we were unable to identify the components of the diet responsible for this difference.

BackgroundProbiotics are used to provide health benefits. The present study tested the effect of a probiotic yoghurt on faecal output of beta-defensin and immunoglobulin A in a group of young healthy women eating a defined diet.Findings26 women aged 18-21 (median 19) years residing in a hostel were given 200 ml normal yoghurt every day for a week, followed by probiotic yoghurt containing Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12® (109 in 200 ml) for three weeks, followed again by normal yoghurt for four weeks. Stool samples were collected at 0, 4 and 8 weeks and assayed for immunoglobulin A and human beta-defensin-2 by ELISA. All participants tolerated both normal and probiotic yoghurt well. Human beta-defensin-2 levels in faeces were not altered during the course of the study. On the other hand, compared to the basal sample, faecal IgA increased during probiotic feeding (P = 0.0184) and returned to normal after cessation of probiotic yoghurt intake.ConclusionsBifidobacterium lactis Bb12® increased secretory IgA output in faeces. This property may explain the ability of probiotics to prevent gastrointestinal and lower respiratory tract infections.

Fe deficiency in women contributes significantly to maternal and child morbidity in India. The intestinal bacterial flora may facilitate absorption of Fe from the caecum and proximal colon. The present study investigated the possibility that intestinal microbiota of anaemic young women may differ from that of women with normal Hb levels. The microbiota was quantified by real-time PCR in faeces of eight anaemic (Hb # 100 g/l) and twenty-six normohaemic (Hb $ 120 g/l) women aged 18 -25 years. Sequences of 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) specific to Bifidobacterium genus, Lactobacillus acidophilus group, Bacteroides -Prevotella -Porphyromonas group, Clostridium leptum group and Eubacterium rectale were amplified and expressed (as relative difference) relative to the universally conserved bacterial 16S rDNA sequences. Dietary intakes of energy, carbohydrate, fibre and Fe were ascertained by maintenance of a diet diary for a week. Faecal lactobacilli were significantly lower in anaemic women (median 6·6 £ 10 28, relative difference compared with total bacteria) than in the reference group (2·9 £ 10 26; P¼ 0·001, unpaired t test with logarithmic transformation). There was no difference between the two groups with respect to any of the other bacteria that were examined. Intakes of energy, carbohydrate, fibre, Fe and milk were similar in both the groups. Fe deficiency in young women in south India was associated with low levels of lactobacilli in the faeces. The relationship between lactobacilli and Fe deficiency needs to be explored further.

Background: Population aging is a major health issue in most countries, sleep is one of the significant factors affecting aging and elderly people’s quality of life. The present study was done to assess sleep quality and its contributing factors among elderly people.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 on 227 elderly people aged fifty five or more participants were selected from the urban field practice area Chidambaram. Data collection tools were a demographic questionnaire, pittsburg sleep quality index and five point depression scale. The collected data were entered into SPSS software (V-22) and analysed using chi-square test at the significance level of less than 0.5.Results: Among 227 elderly people most of them were between the age group of 55 to 60 years (44.9%) and majority of them were females (59%), literacy (69.6%) married (60.5%), house wives (43.6%). Among the population 34.8% had their PSQI value <5 which suggest good sleep quality and whereas 65.2% had PSQI ≥5 suggesting poor sleep quality.Conclusions: The finding of their study indicates that elderly population in this area, have a fairly good quality. The most important factors contributing to their sleep quality are gender, dependency in doing daily activities, other health problems, marital status and their habitual sleep efficiency.

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