Identification by PCR-FRLP of bacteria present in the colostrum of women residing in Barranquilla, Colombia.

Background: Motivation for the study. There is little information on the microbiota found in the colostrum of women living in the Colombian Caribbean. Identifying and isolating microorganisms in this fluid is of interest to both medicine and industry. Main findings. The dominant bacterial genera found in colostrum were Staphylococcus, Lactobacillus, and Enterococcus. Microorganisms with probiotic potential were isolated and should be studied in greater detail. Public health implications. Understanding the microbiota found in colostrum allows us to understand its contribution to infant health and develop strategies to enhance the beneficial impact of these microorganisms on their development.

Background: With the aim of isolating and identifying bacteria present in the colostrum of women in the city of Barranquilla, located in the Colombian Caribbean, we carried out a descriptive study on 55 colostrum samples, which were cultured on M17, MRS, and TOS agar and incubated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. A total of 350 microorganisms were isolated, of which 296 were identified at the genus level by PCR-RFLP with the enzymes HaeIII and RsaI. The online program kodebio.shinyapps.io/RFLP-inator was used for the in-silico identification of the isolates. Seven hypothetical bacterial genera were identified: Staphylococcus, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium, Corynobacterium, Streptococcus, and Leuconostoc, with Staphylococcus, Lactobacillus, and Enterococcus being the most dominant, representing 61.1% of the identified microorganisms. Our results are a starting point for understanding the microbial composition of human colostrum, considering the particular context and environmental conditions of the Colombian Caribbean.

Background: Motivation for the study. There is little information on the microbiota found in the colostrum of women living in the Colombian Caribbean. Identifying and isolating microorganisms in this fluid is of interest to both medicine and industry. Main findings. The dominant bacterial genera found in colostrum were Staphylococcus, Lactobacillus, and Enterococcus. Microorganisms with probiotic potential were isolated and should be studied in greater detail. Public health implications. Understanding the microbiota found in colostrum allows us to understand its contribution to infant health and develop strategies to enhance the beneficial impact of these microorganisms on their development.