The subject invention provides materials and methods that effectively support innate immunity and/or disperse pathogenic biofilms using readily available, nontoxic, natural substances, while supporting restoration of normal microbiotic homeostasis. In one embodiment, the subject invention provides anti-biofilm compositions comprising one or more probiotic organisms, anti-microbial honey, and other ingredients such as prebiotic compounds, other hive products, green tea derivatives, other plant derivatives, and vitamin D3.

The present invention relates to methods of enhancing the potency of incretin-based drugs in subjects in need thereof. Through different animal models, the inventors identified that a specific gut microbiota signature impairs GLP-1-activated gut-brain axis which could be transferred to germ free mice. The dysbiotic gut microbiota induces enteric neuropathy, reduces GLP-1 receptor and nNOS mRNA concentration, GLP-1-induced nitric oxide production for the control of insulin secretion and gastric emptying. The frequency of Lactobacilli in the ileum microbiota was tightly correlated with nMOS mRNA concentration, which is a mode of action of GLP-1, of the enteric nervous system opening a novel route for the improvement of GLP-1 based therapies in type 2 diabetic patients. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of enhancing the potency of an incretin-based drug administered to a diabetic subject as part of a treatment regimen.

The invention relates to the detection of biomarkers, and methods, compositions and kits for the detection of such biological markers for diagnosing various conditions, such as cancer. In particular, the invention relates to the detection of compounds as diagnostic and prognostic markers for detecting cancer, such as oesophago-gastric cancer.

A method to determine if a pregnant woman is at risk of infection-associated spontaneous pre-term birth (sPTB), the method comprising the steps of: b) testing a sample of vaginal fluid for the presence of the following bacteria: iv) Ureaplasma parvum genotype SV3 and/or Ureaplasma parvum genotype SV6; v) Gardnerella vaginalis ; and vi) Lactobacillus iners wherein the presence of the bacteria indicates that the subject is at risk of sPTB.

The embodiments disclose a method including determining populations of Lactobacilli bacterial species associated with a predetermined health level for genital microbiome conditions to screen ointment preparations and ingredients for their impact on the well-being of said bacterial species, identifying the dominant Lactobacillus species in the predetermined health level for genital microbiome conditions, gathering culturing data and monitoring data of different optional cannabinoid or terpenoid compounds on genital Lactobacilli cultures, analyzing the culturing data and monitoring data to assay categorized impact data of the different optional cannabinoid or terpenoid compounds on the genital Lactobacilli cultures, and providing a diagnostic tool for screening the impact of a ointment preparations and ingredients on the genital community microbiomes for the design of safe, effective ointment preparations and ingredients for genital use.

The subject invention provides materials and methods that effectively support innate immunity and/or disperse pathogenic biofilms using readily available, nontoxic, natural substances, while supporting restoration of normal microbiotic homeostasis. In one embodiment, the subject invention provides anti-biofilm compositions comprising one or more probiotic organisms, anti-microbial honey, and other ingredients such as prebiotic compounds, other hive products, green tea derivatives, other plant derivatives, and vitamin D3.

The present invention relates to a method for simply diagnosing the progress of disease condition of a Parkinson's disease patient. Provided are a method for determining Parkinson's disease using the number of one or more intestinal bacteria selected from the group consisting of Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides fragilis group, Lactobacillus brevis, and Lactobacillus plantarum subgroup and/or the total number of intestinal bacteria as a marker, and a method for determining Parkinson's disease using the blood LPS level and/or the blood LBP level of a Parkinson's disease patient as an indicator.

Provided are: a screening method suited for screening for a blood IgA production inhibitor, a blood IgA production promoting agent, or a prophylactic or therapeutic agent against diseases caused by excessive IgA in the blood; an inhibitor of blood IgA production; and a promoting agent of blood IgA production. Also, provided are: a method suited for controlling the amount of IgA in the blood; a method for assessing the risk, severity, or state of diseases caused by excessive IgA in the blood; and a method for presenting, at least one selected from enteric bacteria to be removed and enteric bacteria to be administered, in order to prevent or treat diseases caused by excessive IgA in the blood.

A microbe-specific medium, containing specific chromogenic substrates, for the detection of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in a biological sample, whereby both the detection and identification of vancomycin-resistant enterococci at the species level is achieved utilizing one sample and one test.

A method of preparing an aesculin sturgeon skin gelatin with antioxidant activity and Enterococcus faecalis detection ability includes: 1) mixing a sturgeon skin gelatin and distilled water in a ratio of 1:15-1:25 (w/v) at 50-70 C. and filtering to obtain a sturgeon skin gelatin solution; 2) adding aesculin and a glycerin solution to the sturgeon skin gelatin solution, stirring the resulted sturgeon skin gelatin solution at 30-50 C. for 30 minutes, and filtering; and 3) removing air bubbles from the sturgeon skin gelatin solution of step 2) under reduced pressure, placing the sturgeon skin gelatin solution on an acrylic glass, and drying the sturgeon skin gelatin solution at in a vented oven 25 C. and 45-55% relative humidity for 24 hours to obtain the aesculin sturgeon skin gelatin film.