AMB Volume 41, Issue 4, 2025 Pages 477-491 https://doi.org/10.59393/amb25410407
Profiling of Normal and Potentially Pathogenic Gut Microbiota of Healthy Bulgarian Infants
Asenova A., Ivanova S., Miteva V., Nedeva T., Moncheva P., Rasheva I.
The initial colonization of the infant’s gastrointestinal tract is of paramount importance for their overall health, both early on and later in life. As intestinal microbiome assembly is increasingly researched, many factors that affect colonization are becoming evident, such as genetics, mode of delivery, feeding type, antibiotics, and probiotic intake, among others. The purpose of the current study was to obtain extensive information about the fluctuations of normal and potentially pathogenic gut microbiota of infants at the age of 0 to 9 months by implementing a commercially accessible PCR kit. Twenty healthy Bulgarian neonates, aged zero to nine months, participated in the study by providing stool samples. The dynamics of the fecal microbiota were determined by commercially available kits for total DNA isolation and real-time multiplex PCR. Differences in microbiota dynamics were presented in the initial stages of gut colonization. The dominating phyla were Actinomycetota, Bacillota, Bacteroidota, and Pseudomonadota. Among them, clinically significant species, such as Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and representatives of the Enterobacteriaceae family, were detected in different quantities. The presence of potentially probiotic bacteria, such as lactobacilli and members of the genus Bifidobacterium, was analyzed. Moreover, trophic network formation between species was observed. An infant’s intestinal microbiota assembly is a delicate process depending on a variety of factors. Initial microbial balance disruption may lead to clinical cases and lifelong consequences. This fact highlights the significance of intestinal microbiota analysis.
Keywords: infant, gut colonization, PCR, bacteria, intestinal microbiota, GIT
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