NON-HUMAN PRIMATES BIFIDOBACTERIACEAE: A RESERVOIR FOR APPLICATION FOR ANIMAL WELL-BEING

After discover of bifidobacteria in human infant from H. Tissier in 1900, Bifidobacteriaceae microorganisms have been extensively studied mostly in the gastrointestinal tracts of human and other animals both from ecological and practical application point of view. Their importance is mainly related to their strict link with human and animal health due to many probiotic features such as modulation of immune system, antagonistic activity towards pathogens, alleviation of lactose intolerance, production of useful metabolites. Recently the BoCC-BUSCoB (Bologna Culture Collection - Bologna University Scardovi Collection of Bifidobacteria) has extensively studied the presence of bifidobacteria in non-human primates. Bifidobacteriaceae new species have been isolated from old world monkeys (Lemur catta and Eulemuris macaco), new world monkeys (Callithrix jacchus, Saguinus oedipus, Saguinus imperator, Terophitecus gelada) and hominidis (orangutan and chimpanzee). The study of non-human primates “probiotic microbiota”, where bifidobacteria represent one of the most important probiotic group, is very important especially in the view of their application for the well-being of animals in controlled environment. The exploitation of probiotic properties of strains isolated from non-human primates requires the existence of isolates in culture collections, which assure the maintenance with appropriate methodologies of bifidobacterial cultures for intended health and biotechnological uses.