Bacteria in the animal gut: hostile or friendly?
Friendly bacteria
Until recently, all bacteria have been viewed as a threat for the animal health. This vision has spurred the development of numerous antibacterial therapies. But are all bacteria bad? The latest researches bring more and more amazing discoveries about friendly bacteria doing really important work inside both animals and humans.
A multitude of bacteria
The alimentary canal of animals houses 500 – 1000 species of bacteria. About 1 – 2 kg of bacteria lives within the gut of the adult human. There are no exact dates for horses, but we can speculate about 5 – 10 kg of bacteria in one animal!
Colonial bacteria rule the gut
The alimentary canal of a new-born animal is sterile, but within hours it gradually becomes colonized by bacteria mostly from its mother. Foals get their first bacteria while passing through the birth canal and further when milking their mothers. Pioneer bacteria are very important, because they set the rules and can promote or prevent the settling of other bacteria inside the gut. The microflora of an adult animal is quite stable throughout its life.
What are bacteria good for, and what has BASIPRODUCTS got to do with them? Interested?
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