Klebsiella Klebsiella We all have millions of bacteria in ourgastrointestinal tracts, primarily in the colon (or "large" bowel).These bacteria are important for normal bowel health and function. Klebsiella isthe genus name for one of these bacteria found in the respiratory, intestinal,and urinogenital tracts of animals and man. When Klebsiella bacteria get outside of the gut, however, seriousinfection can occur. K. pneumoniae is second only to E. colias a urinary tract pathogen. Klebsiella infections are encountered far moreoften now than in the past. This is probably due to the bacterium's antibioticresistance properties. Klebsiella pneumoniae is known as aresident of the intestinal track in about 40% of man and animals. It isconsidered to be an opportunistic human pathogen meaning that under certainconditions it may cause disease. For example, nosocomial infections are thosethat hospitalized patients pick up because they are in a weakened state1,2. Klebsiella pneumoniae is also well knownin the environment and can be cultured from soil, water and vegetables. In fact,it is likely that we have K. pneumoniae in our intestine from

The Potential of Milk Thistle The potential of milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.), an Israeli native, as a source of edible sprouts rich in antioxidants. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2007 Aug 20;:1-8 Vaknin Y, Hadas R, Schafferman D, Murkhovsky L, Bashan N. Department of Agronomy and Natural Resources, Institute of Plant Sciences, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel. The potential of wild plants in Israel as sources of edible sprouts has not been investigated until now. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.) is native to the Mediterranean basin and is now widespread throughout the world; its young fleshy stems are traditionally eaten by the local Arab sector in Israel, and its sprouts are rich in antioxidants and have been used as a traditional medicine for diseases of the liver and biliary tract. The active extract of milk thistle, silymarin, is a mixture of flavonolignans and is a strong antioxidant that has been proved to promote liver cell regeneration, to reduce blood cholesterol and to help prevent cancer. The present objective was to investigate the potential

Aeromonas Hydrophila and Related Bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila and Related Bacteria Significance Aeromonas hydrophila(pronounced "air-oh-moan-ass" "high-drof-ill-uh") is abacterium that is commonly found in freshwater environments and in brackishwater. Although there has never been a known outbreak or illness from Aeromonashydrophila, it has been isolated from sprouted seeds. Fortunately, A. hydrophila is susceptible to a 1% solution ofsodium hypochlorite. Though I am unaware of any studies undertaken to remove thepathogen from seed, the FDA recommended 2% solution of calcium hypochlorite as asoak should have an effect on reducing or eliminating this potentially harmfulbacterial from sprouting seed.   Some, but not all, strainsof A. hydrophila are capable of causing illness in humans by infectingopen wounds and possibly by ingesting the organisms in food or water. Severalrelated species, Aeromonas caviae, Aeromonas sobria and Aeromonasveroniimay also be capable of causing illness in humans.   At the present time, thereis controversy as to whether or not these organisms are able to cause humangastrointestinal illness. Volunteer human feeding studies, even with highnumbers of cells, have not produced illness. However, the organism has beenpresent in the stools of individuals

Food sources of phyto-oestrogens and their precursors in Europe. Br J Nutr. 2003 Jun;89 Suppl 1:S39-43. Fletcher RJ. Kellogg Company, Manchester, UK. Phyto-oestrogens are dietary components found in some plants, which act in vivo like weak oestrogens. They may reduce the risk of some degenerative diseases moderated by oestrogen, including breast cancer and osteoporosis. The most widely studied are the isoflavones genistein and daidzein from soyabeans, but lignans may be more prevalent in the European diet. Soya foods have traditionally been consumed in the Orient for millennia, and are now widely available to European consumers. Levels of isoflavone in soyabeans from published literature vary between 560 and 3810 mg/kg, depending on variety and growing conditions. Soya protein concentrates and isolates derived from soyabeans contain 466-615 mg isoflavones/kg. Traditional soya milk, bean curds, bean sprouts, etc. contain 13 to 2030 mg isoflavone/kg, depending on the starting raw material and final water content. Fermented foods have a different isoflavone conjugate profile, which may be important in absorption and metabolism. Soya analogues of European

Germinated Barley Foodstuff Germinated barley foodstuff, a prebiotic product, ameliorates inflammation of colitis through modulation of the enteric environment. J Gastroenterol. 2003;38(2):134-41. Kanauchi O, Serizawa I, Araki Y, Suzuki A, Andoh A, Fujiyama Y, Mitsuyama K, Takaki K, Toyonaga A, Sata M, Bamba T. Nutrient Food and Feed Division, Kirin Brewery Co Ltd, 2-10-1 Shinkawa, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8288, Japan. BACKGROUND: Germinated barley foodstuff (GBF), which contains glutamine-rich protein and hemicellulose-rich fiber, exhibits therapeutic effects in ulcerative colitis; however, its mechanism is still under investigation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of GBF on colitis in terms of the epithelial inflammatory response. METHODS: Mice with dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis were used. The effects of GBF on the colitis were evaluated by measuring the body weight; disease activity; mucosal damage (histology, mucosal inflammatory parameters, nuclear factor kappa B [NFkB] activation, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 [STAT3]); serum interleukin 6 (IL-6) level; cecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs); and bile acid contents. RESULTS:GBF significantly prevented disease activity