2023-10-11 22:15:00
Scientists isolated 20 different intestinal bacteria with probiotic qualities from the wolf (Getty)
(HealthDay News) — A type of gut bacteria found in wild wolves might help treat domestic dogs that have a common, debilitating gastrointestinal condition.
New research on an Oregon wolf discovered a strain of Paenibacillus bacteria that has the characteristics of a probiotic. This bacteria would be beneficial in dogs with canine inflammatory bowel disease.
A chronic disease, it causes vomiting, reduced appetite, weight loss, flatulence, a rumbling stomach and abdominal discomfort in domestic dogs, said researcher Bruce Seal of the biology program at Oregon State University-Cascades.
“There is currently no known cure for this ongoing dysbiosis.” [un desequilibrio de las bacterias intestinales] of the gastrointestinal tract, and there are limited options for treatment,” Seal said in a university news release. “Underlying causes of the condition include the animal’s genetics, environmental factors, the immune status of the gastrointestinal tract and, perhaps most importantly, an altered gut microbiome.”
The research might be a step toward creating a dietary supplement or food additive to help dogs have the wolf type of microbiome, according to the study authors. “Dogs were the first domesticated animal,” Seal said. “The modern dog diet, high in carbohydrates, does not reflect the diet of a wolf; for example, the starches in processed dog foods are resistant to digestion, and that can have a negative impact on the microbial community in the digestive tract. gastrointestinal tract of a dog and, in turn, its gastric physiology.”
To study this, researchers collected gastrointestinal material from a dead wolf the day following it died from injuries sustained when hit by a car.
The scientists isolated 20 different gut bacteria that preliminary genetic analyzes showed have probiotic qualities. They performed complete genome sequencing on a new strain of Paenibacillus.
This bacteria encodes enzymes that can digest complex carbohydrates like starches, Seal said. It also has gene systems that express antimicrobials. The researchers now plan to do full genome sequencing on four or five other bacterial species they isolated.
The findings were recently published in the journal Applied Microbiology.
“Nontoxic, spore-forming bacteria promote anti-inflammatory immune responses in the intestine and inhibit the growth of pathogens,” Seal explained. “All things considered, this bacterial isolate might be a potentially useful probiotic for domestic dogs.”
More information
The National Human Genome Research Institute has more information regarding the microbiome.
SOURCE: Oregon State University, press release, October 2, 2023.
* Cara Murez. Health Day Reporters © The New York Times 2023
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