Members of the program group organized the 9th International Symposium on anaerobic microbiology ISAM 2015 which was held between 25 and 27 June 2015 in Portorož, and attracted 63 participants from 15 countries. They discussed the following topics in the field of anaerobic microbiology: Diversity and possibilities of isolation and cultivation of anaerobic microorganisms; Intestinal microbiota and health; Intestinal microbiota: interactions and manipulation; Genetics, genomics and proteomics of anerobic microorganisms; New organisms and biochemical pathways in biogas processes; The inhibition of the production of biogas; The increase in biogas production by biological approaches; Functional analysis of the biogas microbial communities. At the meeting, which was held in the English language, special emphasis has been devoted to the integration of science and profession. As microbiology as a science links interdisciplinary with other disciplines (especially in science, medicine and engineering) in solving scientific and technical problems, the symposium attended by experts from various fields (microbiologists, doctors, veterinarians, pharmacists, biotehnologists, food technologists and biologists) attended the symposium. Seven plenary lectures of prominent lecturers, 29 lectures and 34 posters were presented by participants from Slovenia, neighboring countries as well as other European and overseas countries.
B.01 Organiser of a scientific meeting
COBISS.SI-ID: 280104448Intestinal mikrobiom directly or indirectly influences on the functioning of all our organs, including the nervous system and brain. More than 90 % of phylogenetic categories that are found in the gastrointestinal tract belong either to the phylum Firmicutes or to the phylum Bacteroidetes. Therefore, at the phylum level microbial diversity is relatively low, but extremely increases at lower taxonomic levels, especially at the level of bacterial species and strains. Nutrition affects the intestinal microbiome throughout the entire life, but its impact varies depending on the life stage. It begins with the mothers’ diet, as various studies have shown that diet during pregnancy affects the infant microbiome and consequently affects infant development. Nutrition in the first year of life is the most powerful external factor in the microbiome development of a healthy new-born, because it affects the metabolic phenotype and shapes the immune response of the host. Key factors in breast milk that contribute to the specific, one might even say the individual, development of the infant gut microbiota, are the human milk microbiota and human milk oligosaccharides. With the introduction of other nutrients and solid foods the differences in the microbiota composition between breast-fed and formula-fed infants vanish and microbiota somewhere up to three years of age become similar to the adult microbiota. The composition of the intestinal microbiota of adults is relatively stable and can be restored to the original state even after major disruptions. The composition and the properties of the macro-nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) in ingested food determine which groups and species of bacteria are able to survive in the gastrointestinal tract. Diet-based strategies to control intestinal microbiome are based on changing the ratios and the composition of macro-nutrients (nutritional intervention), consumption of prebiotics and/or probiotics. Interestingly, the changes in dietary habits in the past coincide with the increased incidence of many modern diseases, from inflammatory bowel disease to systemic diseases such as metabolic syndrome. Dietary modulation of intestinal microbiome is a new promising therapeutic approach in the prevention and even treatment of these diseases.
B.04 Guest lecture
COBISS.SI-ID: 3574664Boar taint is one of the problems occurring in meat production of pigs, namely of entire males when they reach sexual maturity. Two substances with interconnected metabolism are held responsible, androstenone and skatole. The accumulation of the skatole in adipose tissues depends on microbial metabolism of L-tryptophane in the colon, its absorption into peripheral bloodstream and its hepatic metabolism hindered by androstenone. The production of skatole depends on the activity of intestinal microbiota and the availability of the substrate, which may be altered by dietary means. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of the supplementation of hydrolysable tannin-rich extract from chestnut on intestinal microbiota and consequently the formation of skatole in intestinal content. Twenty-four Landrace × Large White boars were assigned within a litter to four treatment groups: control (fed mixture with 13.2 MJ/kg, 17.5% crude proteins) and three experimental diets for which the control diet was supplemented with 1%, 2% or 3% of hydrolysable tannin-rich extract. Pigs were kept individually with ad libitum access to feed and water and slaughtered at 193 days of age and 122 ±10 kg live weight. Total microbial DNA from caecum and distal part of large intestine was extracted and gut microbiota composition was evaluated by the DGGE analysis of 16S rRNA. The analyzed DGGE profiles of the gut microbiota of boars supplemented with hydrolysable tannins showed clear effects on microbiota structure and statistically significant differences when compared to the control group. The effects were less pronounced in caecum than colon contents. Next generation sequencing (NGS) method employing the Illumina MiSeq platform and targeting the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of 16S rRNA gene was used for further characterization of gut microbiota composition. The findings are in agreement with the DGGE results and confirm the effect of tannins on gut microbiota. Correlations between abundant bacterial populations and tannin supplementation and other variables were discovered and will be discussed.
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 3585160As a part of larger antioxidative stress experiment cecum microbiota was studied in 36 broiler chickens housed in balance cages with wire floor. Diet followed Ross 308 broiler nutrition specifications. Two groups were formed (18 animals each) and fed feed mixture containing 70g/kg linseed or walnut oil. To test the effects of two natural extracts with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties each group was subdivided into three groups of six animals supplemented with olive leaf extract, marigold extract or unsupplemented (control). Olive leaf concentrated ethanol extract was added as 10g/kg feed while marigold flower petals extract was added as 5ml traditional medicine tincture/kg feed. Animals were housed in cages on day 14. Fresh cecal excrement samples were collected every second day from day 15 until day 25 and on day 32. Plant extracts were introduced on day 20. From day 26 until day 31 excrements were collected for residual feed intake experiment. Here we present the results of microbial fingerprinting with PCR-DGGE (day 32) and association of changes in microbial community with residual feed intake (RFI) data. Neither hierarchical clustering nor multidimensional scaling preformed on Pearson correlation coefficient similarity matrix of DGGE microbial profiles showed any clustering according to six feed groups (oil and extract). Similarly, none of the DGGE bands showed strong correlation with feed group or RFI data. According to redundancy analysis (RDA) best candidates for explanation of variance in microbial community structure are protein and magnesium content in excrement dry matter (10 and 9%) and balance of neutral detergent fibre (5%).
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 3584904With the Prešeren award of Biotechnical Faculty UL was awarded master's thesis of a young researcher in the program group, which was created under the supervision of two members of this group. The work contains the results of a study of the impact of the extracts of olive leaves (Olea europaea) and marigold (Calendula officinalis) on the utilisation of nutrients and energy in chickens. The topic falls within the research program of the Nutrition and microbial ecology of GIT. Work presents an original contribution to science, since this is the first study on the effects of extracts of olive leaves and marigold on utilisation of nutrients and energy not only in chickens but also in domestic animals. Results have in addition to the scientific value also application potential as they represent a good basis for further research and application of these additives in practice.
E.01 National awards
COBISS.SI-ID: 3614088