Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 16, 2026

An In Vitro Batch-culture Model to Estimate the Effects of Interventional Regimens on Human Fecal Microbiota
Published on: July 31, 2019
[Characterization, influence and manipulation of the gastrointestinal microbiota in health and disease]
José F García-Mazcorro1, Elvira Garza-González2, Alicia G Marroquín-Cardona3
1Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, General Escobedo, Nuevo León, México; Grupo de investigación Ecobiología Médica, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, General Escobedo, Nuevo León, México.
Abstract:
The gastrointestinal tract harbors trillions of microorganisms that are indispensable for health. The gastrointestinal microbiota can be studied using culture and molecular methods. The applications of massive sequencing are constantly increasing, due to their high yield, increasingly accessible costs, and the availability of free software for data analysis. The present article provides a detailed review of a large number of studies on the gastrointestinal microbiota and its influence on human health; particular emphasis is placed on the evidence suggesting a relationship between the gastrointestinal microbial ecosystem and diverse physiological and immune/inflammatory processes. Discussion of the articles analyzed combines a medical approach and current concepts of microbial molecular ecology. The present revision aims to be useful to those interested in the gastrointestinal microbiota and its possible alteration to maintain, re-establish and enhance health in the human host.
Related Concept Videos
Functions of the Gut Microbiota
Introduction to the Human Microbiota
Microbiota of the Stomach and Small Intestine
Probiotics
The Oral Microbiota
Gut-Brain Axis

