Recently, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, an acetate-consuming and butyrate-synthesizing gut bacteria, has attracted attention because of its potentially important role in promoting gut health.
Studies have demonstrated that Faecalibacterium may play a probiotic role. F. prausnitzii, the only species known within the Faecalibacterium genus, may exhibit anti-inflammatory effects on colitis by blocking NF-κB expression and IL-8 secretion. Furthermore, F. prausnitzii encourages resistance against potential pathogens.
References
Chen W, Liu F, Ling Z, Tong X, Xiang C. Human Intestinal Lumen and Mucosa-Associated Microbiota in Patients with Colorectal Cancer. PLoS ONE. 2012. 7(6);e39743. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.00397435
Gałęcka M, Szachta, P et al. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Crohns Disease – is There any Connection? Polish Journal of Microbiology. 2013. 62(1); 91–5. PMID: 23829084
Khan, M T, Duncan, SH et al. The gut anaerobe Facalibacterium prausnitzii uses an extracellular electron shuttle to grow at oxic-anoxic interphases. The ISME Journal. 2012. 6;1578–85; doi:10.1038/ismej.2012.5
Louis P, Flint HJ. Diversity, metabolism and microbial ecology of butyrate-producing bacteria from the human large intestine. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2009. 94: 1–8.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6968.2009.01514.x
P. Langella, et al., Faecalibacterium prausnitziiand human intestinal health. Current Opinion in Microbiology. 2013.16(3). 255–61. doi:10.1016/j.mib.2013.06.003
Sokol, H, Pigneur, B et al. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is an anti-inflammatory commensal bacterium identified by gut microbiota analysis of Crohn disease patients. The National Academy of Sciences of the USA. 2008.105(43); 16731–36. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0804812105