Human gut microbiota and future prebiotics

Abstract

Rapid advances in molecular methods that enable culture-independent analysis of the complex bacterial populations is increasing awareness and understanding of the composition and activity of the microbiota in the human gastrointestinal tract, its role in host health and response to changes in diet and lifestyle. In this article we discuss the shortcomings of the contemporary approach of targeting a few selected bacteria, notably lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, to gauge the status of the gut microbiota for promoting health of the human host.