Inter-individual variation in isoflavone absorption depends on gut microbial degradation and affects the efficacy of these compounds. We hypothesized that inter-individual variation in fecal isoflavone disappearance coincided with variation in bacterial species. In vitro anaerobic fecal disappearance of isoflavones was measured from 33 participants by HPLC. Fecal microbial 16S rRNA variable reg...

Aggregation of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, is regulated by fecal aggregation agents (pheromones), including volatile carboxylic acids (VCAs). We demonstrate that the gut microbial community contributes to production of these semiochemicals. Chemical analysis of the fecal extract of B. germanica revealed 40 VCAs. Feces from axenic cockroaches (no microorganisms in the alimentary t...

background: swimming is often recommended because of its potentially beneficial effects on the joints and on people’s general sense of well-being . swimming is a great way to relax and beat the summer heat. the dumping of urban and industrial waste waters into the sea, with their high level of pathogens and other polluting agents, raises concern about its consequences for both swimmers’ health ...

We read with interest the report of Guerrant et al. (1). It was stated that the fecal lactoferrin assay may be a useful diagnostic tool in the evaluation of patients with acute diarrhea syndrome (ADS), offering some advantages over microscopic examination for fecal leukocytes. We would like to comment on this and report data from a study carried out in Chile in which fecal lactoferrin was measu...

Fecal fat microscopy using the Sudan stain has suffered from a relative lack of specificity, and results are "qualitative." Therefore, we developed a quantitative fecal fat microscopic method with hopes of improving diagnostic accuracy. One hundred eighty patients with chronic diarrhea collected stools for 1 to 3 days, and fecal fat output was measured by a standard chemical method, and microsc...