Researchers from InStem, Bengaluru, CCAMP, Bengaluru, University of Louisville, USA, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, USA and Dalhousie University, Canada have reported that a compound produced during the breakdown of berries and pomegranate in the gut has the potential to reduce inflammatory bowel disease, which affects millions of people across the globe.
The study from IISc found a previously unidentified yeast-like symbiont inside the lac insect Kerria lacca, which gives the insect its distinctive red colour and, may also provide other nutrients in return for shelter.