The Burgeoning Role of the Gastrointestinal Microbiota

Martin Floch*

Received: January 29, 2019;   Published: February 01, 2019

DOI: 10.32474/CTGH.2018.01.000125

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Short Communication

With the release of the landmark publication containing the information that there were more microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract than any other cells [1] the scientific community began to look at the functional role of these organisms. We edited a book on “The Microbiota in Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology; with emphasis on probiotics, prebiotics, and dysbiosis” [2] The book was published in 2018 but since that time a great deal of new information and manuscripts have appeared. Particularly in the area of probiotics and supplements containing probiotics or prebiotics so that organizations are now sponsoring national and international meetings on the subject. Until the 20^th century scientific interest in the flora of the gut was largely in infectious organisms but when it was realized that the predominance of the flora in the gastrointestinal tract scientists began to look at the role of these organisms in health and disease Our book on the microbiota was divided into essentially four areas of interest. First the distribution of bacteria in the GI tract, secondly detailed microbiology on the specific bacteria used as probiotics. Thirdly on the functional role of these bacteria and fourthly on the specific literature that support these facts being related to the microbiota in these conclusions. Since publication of this text important new observations have widened the field of interest into common cancer. Colorectal cancer and colon polyps are the fourth most common cancer in the human population so that interest is intense in the western and Asian populations.

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