Abstract:
The human gastrointestinal tract contains a diverse community of microorganisms that are crucial for supporting health by aiding in digestion, producing vitamins, regulating metabolism, developing the immune system, and defending against harmful pathogens. This comprehensive study aimed to profile and analyse the gut microbial structure of individuals living invarious districts of Uttarakhand in India using culture-independent methods, specifically 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A total of 325 patients from the Uttarakhand region were enrolled, comprising 168 males (51.70%) and 157 females (48.30%) with ages ranging from 11-90 years. Antral biopsy specimens were collected during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy examinations and processed using Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) agar plates under anaerobic conditions. The study revealed predominant antrum erosions in 323 patients (99.38%), indicating widespread gastric mucosal damage. Rapid Urease Test (RUT) analysis showed that 290 individuals (89.23%) tested positive for urease activity, suggesting substantial burden of urease-producing microorganisms. Six distinct bacterial isolates were successfully obtained and characterized through comprehensive biochemical profiling, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and molecular identification via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. All isolates demonstrated Gram-positive characteristics with 50% urease positivity. Molecular identification revealed a taxonomically diverse bacterial community comprising Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Bacillus sonorensis, Kocuria flava, Bacillus licheniformis, and Enterococcus gallinarum, representing various functional categories including potentially pathogenic species, beneficial probiotic organisms, and commensal bacteria. All sequences were deposited in NCBI GenBank database, contributing to global bacterial sequence repository and addressing the research gap in region-specific microbiome data for indigenous populations in India's mountainous regions.
Biography:
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