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PubMedDate not supplied

[Probiotics: history, definition, requirements and possible therapeutic applications].

The ingestion of probiotics is associated with various beneficial effects on human health and modifies the physiological homeostasis of the intestinal flora. Probiotics are microorganisms with some particular characteristics: human origin, safety in human use, bile and acid resistance, survival in the intestine, at least temporary colonization of the human gut, adhesion to the mucosa and bacteriocine production. Thanks to these characteristics, probiotics block the invasion of human intestinal cells by the enteroinvasive bacteria. Furthermore, they should be able to stimulate and modulate the intestinal immune response, and to protect and stabilize the mucosal barrier. Finally, the efficacy of probiotics should be evident and documented with valid studies. All their properties should be maintained during processing and storage. Probiotics are usually used to protect the host from pathogens. With regard to this, they are useful in the prevention of antibiotic and traveler's diarrhea and they may play a role in the management of gastric Helicobacter pylori infection. Furthermore, their efficacy in the treatment of infectious diarrhea, in inflammatory bowel diseases, in pouchitis and in food allergy has been shown. Probiotics can improve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and of lactose malabsorption. Finally, it has been suggested that such microorganisms may play a role in the prevention of carcinogenesis and of tumor growth.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

[Lactic bacteria and other probiotics in infections and inflammatory diseases in children. What do we believe? - What do we know?].

Probiotics are microorganisms which, when ingested, may have a positive effect in the prevention or treatment of a specific pathologic condition. Probiotics are used for a number of gastrointestinal and certain systemic infectious and inflammatory diseases. The efficacy of selected probiotics to promote recovery from acute viral gastroenteritis in young children is well-documented. However, the role of probiotics in systemic diseases, e.g. atopic dermatitis, need to be confirmed in larger randomised controlled trials. This paper describes the theoretical background for the use of probiotics and reviews results from randomised controlled trials describing the effect of probiotics, particularly in paediatric diseases.

Child↗

PubMed2004

[Natural therapy instead of chemistry? Probiotics in gastroenterology].

Probiotics are living microorganisms that upon ingestion exert health benefits. The impact of probiotics on gut flora represents a new and interesting therapeutic approach in a number of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. According to actual publications and guidelines of medical societies, the clinical relevance of probiotics can be described as follows: (a) In the case of ulcerative colitis, available data demonstrate benefits of probiotic therapy. (b) The available data regarding pouchitis are limited, but the therapeutic effect seems to be excellent. (c) In the case of Crohn's disease, the role of probiotics is not clearly defined, thus the results of new trials have to be awaited before probiotic therapy is recommended. (d) Further indications such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea, acute pancreatitis or irritable bowel syndrome have been reported recently. The results of these clinical trials have been encouraging, but they often included only a small number of patients and therefore a clear-cut assessment seems difficult at the moment.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

PubMed2005

Gut flora in health and disease: potential role of probiotics.

In a young evolving science, there are always more questions than answers. That is also the situation in the emerging field of Probiotics, and this was made very clear at the International Probiotics Workshop in Amsterdam. In the report of this workshop, we present a selection of the most urgent questions in the field of probiotics. In addition, we propose a few strategies for the future of probiotics research. During the workshop, 120 experts--from disciplines including Human Nutrition, Gastroenterology, Nutritional Therapy, Cell Biology, Microbiology and Immunology--discussed new views on microbe-host interactions and the role of probiotics in prevention and alleviation of gastro-intestinal, atopic and auto-immune diseases. There is a general consensus among the experts that administering defined strains can help in preventing and curing gut flora related diseases: the first clinical trials show a promising role for probiotics. But the system is very complex, and most underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Rapid progress in this field will depend largely on the collaboration between fundamental researchers from different disciplines and medical specialists. Besides, more clinical studies are required to convince authorities and the public of the value of microbial therapies.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Development of consumer probiotics for the US market.

Curiosity about probiotic bacteria is high. This is not surprising given the rapid growth of the natural products market in the USA, which was 22% in 1995 (New Hope Natural Media, Boulder, CO). Although probiotic cultures are only one component of that market, this trend shows that consumers in the USA are increasingly taking a pro-active stance towards their health and are purchasing products not only to eliminate what is perceived as dietary negatives but to increase the levels of dietary positives (Wrick, 1995). This shift in consumer attitude bodes well for the development of the American probiotic market. This article describes the composition, promotion and labelling of probiotic-containing products, discusses attributes of commercial probiotic bacteria, and estimates the size of the probiotic market in the USA. This market information was obtained from several published (Anon, 1996a,b) and unpublished but commercially available (SPINS Information Services, San Francisco, CA and New Hope Natural Media, Boulder, CO) sources.

Food Industry↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pharmaceutical probiotics for the treatment of anaerobic and other infections.

Pharmaceutical probiotics have been used as alternative treatments or preventative therapies for a variety of clinical diseases. The overuse of antibiotics and emergence of multiple-antibiotic resistant pathogens has refocused clinical attention on the field of probiotics. Anaerobic infections which seem to respond well to probiotics are infections which involve the disruption of normal microbial flora. Gastrointestinal infections (travelers' diarrhea, antibiotic-associated diarrhea,Clostridium difficile disease, rotavirus diarrhea) have been studied using the following pharmaceutical probiotics:Saccharomyces boulardii, Lactobacillus casei GG, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Streptococcus thermophilus and Enterococcus faecium. Vaginitis has been experimentally studied using L. acidophilus and L. casei GG. The efficacy, safety and mechanisms of action of these various probiotics are reviewed. Requirements for drug approval are similar for biologic probiotics and new drug entities and these requirements involve preclinical tolerability studies, pharmacokinetic studies and large, well-controlled blinded clinical trials.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2000

Probiotic Therapy and Functional Foods for Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections: State of the Art and Science.

In the past year, interest has heightened in the potential for probiotics to prevent urinary tract infection (UTI). Mainly, this has been due to concerns about antibiotic resistance and recognition of the scientific efficacy of probiotics. The critical factors in any successful application of probiotics to patient care are the scientific basis for selecting probiotic strains and clinical verification that they are effective against the recurrence of UTI. Three strains--Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus fermentum B-54 and RC-14--have been shown to colonize the vagina and act as a barrier to the ascension of uropathogens into the bladder. Their ability to produce growth and adhesion antagonists against urogenital pathogens is clinically important, because these appear to be important mechanisms of action. Probiotic therapy has been shown to be safe, but too few reliable products are on the market, and none are yet available for use against UTI. Given the right strains and delivery system, probiotic therapy could provide the first new UTI-prevention system in 40 years, and may help in the management of recurrent UTI.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Probiotics and Functional Foods in Gastrointestinal Disorders.

Probiotics are live microbial food supplements that benefit the host animal by improving intestinal microbial balance. When they are fed in yogurts, they can fall into the category of functional foods. Functional foods include these probiotics, prebiotics, and, to a certain extent, dietary fiber. Prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients or supplements that alter the intestinal flora and stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria. Dietary fibers are part of plant foods that are nonstarch polysaccharides and are poorly digested or not digested by human enzymes. The physiologic process in which probiotics and functional foods affect the intestinal flora is through the balance of the intestinal microecology. This review looks at the four major components of intestinal microecology and describes the probiotics in use today and their clinical relevance. Although probiotics hold great promise and appear to be useful in some settings, more clinical study is needed to firmly establish the relevance of probiotic therapy.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2003

Probiotics, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Probiotics are live, microbial food supplements that benefit the host animal by improving intestinal microbial balance. Their major role in preventing and treating gastrointestinal disease appears to be from their effect on the immune process, protection against abnormal invasive bacteria, and in the production of short-chain fatty acids from starch and non-starch polysaccharides. Probiotic microorganisms are administered in food supplements and yogurts. They are also now sold in the form of capsules and powders. There is great variation in the microorganisms in the various supplements. It is important to understand that all probiotic products are different. Some contain a single organism and others contain multiple organisms. Therapeutic results have been achieved with various probiotics in different diseases. In the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), success has been reported with Escherichia coli Nissle strain in ulcerative colitis, and with a multiple organism product, VSL#3 (VSL Pharmaceuticals, Fort Lauderdale, FL), in Crohn's disease and pouchitis. Initial reports in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have resulted in encouraging results with the use of E. coli Nissle strain, and recently with multiple organism probiotic supplements. However, caution must still apply to the use of probiotics in IBD and IBS because the reports and the number of patients treated are limited.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Influence of probiotic supplemented infant formula on composition of plasma lipids in atopic infants.

Probiotic therapy is a new, successful approach to alleviating allergic symptoms. In this study, our aim was to investigate whether the positive results obtained with probiotic therapy would be associated with the differential absorption and utilization of dietary PUFA. 15 infants referred to a pediatric clinic on the basis of atopic eczema were weaned to Bifidobacterium Bb-12 or Lactobacillus GG supplemented infant formula, or to the same formula without probiotics (randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind study design). In plasma neutral lipids, alpha-linolenic acid (18:3 n-3) proportions were reduced by the probiotic supplementation. In phospholipids, Lactobacillus GG supplemented formula did not influence alpha-linolenic acid proportions, while Bifidobacterium Bb-12 supplemented formula increased the proportion of alpha-linolenic acid; from 0.13 +/- 0.03 to 0.24 +/- 0.03 (mean +/- SEM) (P = 0.002). These results show that some physiological effects of probiotics may be associated with physiological interactions between probiotics and dietary PUFA.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Probiotic bacterium prevents cytokine-induced apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells.

Probiotic bacteria are microorganisms that benefit the host by preventing or ameliorating disease. However, little information is known regarding the scientific rationale for using probiotics as alternative medicine. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mechanisms of probiotic beneficial effects on intestinal cell homeostasis. We now report that one such probiotic, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), prevents cytokine-induced apoptosis in two different intestinal epithelial cell models. Culture of LGG with either mouse or human colon cells activates the anti-apoptotic Akt/protein kinase B. This model probiotic also inhibits activation of the pro-apoptotic p38/mitogen-activated protein kinase by tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1alpha, or gamma-interferon. Furthermore, products recovered from LGG culture broth supernatant show concentration-dependent activation of Akt and inhibition of cytokine-induced apoptosis. These observations suggest a novel mechanism of communication between probiotic microorganisms and epithelia that increases survival of intestinal cells normally found in an environment of pro-apoptotic cytokines.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Role of probiotics in the treatment of intestinal infections and inflammation.

Despite the relative success of analogous approaches in soil, aquatic, and animal environments, the enhancement of human health through probiotic consumption has not been generally endorsed in modern medicine. Laboratory-based studies are elucidating the mechanisms that mediate the properties attributed to beneficial lactic acid bacteria and Saccharomyces species in vivo. This research is now providing fundamental evidence to support observations of adhesion of probiotic species to intestinal tissue, antimicrobial activities, and immunomodulation. Probiotics appear to have a promising future in the treatment of certain disorders. Rigorously performed, controlled, double-blinded trials will overcome doubts relating to efficacy in vivo and open avenues along which probiotic-based therapies will rapidly progress. As a result of our emerging understanding of microbial activities and gene expression in situ, novel strategies will combine complementary probiotic functionalities in the form of microbial consortia or genetically enhanced organisms. As scientific knowledge and biotechnologic proficiency advance at an accelerating pace, the requirement for informed legislation and for mechanisms of effectively delivering these therapies to the sites of their intended function may limit the applications of probiotics.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1997

[Criteria for selection of lactobacilli for probiotic use].

The present knowledge of research makes it possible to use a whole range of stabilized micro-organisms and their metabolites for the production of preparations known as probiotics. The mechanism of the effect of probiotics, although it is not fully elucidated, is closely connected with the properties of the production strains. When selecting them, it is necessary to respect the origin of the strain used, its ability to adhere to the epithelial cells of the gut and to produce the inhibitory substances, the ability to survive and grow in the respective ecological units. The strain should be genetically stable, it should have good growth properties in vitro and in vivo, to maintain its high viability at processing, lyophilization and storage. Lactobacilli belong to the micro-organisms most frequently used to prepare the probiotics. The statement that lactobacilli inhibit the colonization of pathogenic bacteria upon the intestinal epithelium has been confirmed by many experiments on experimental germ-free and/or gnotobiotic animals. This inhibitory process known as "competitive exclusion" can be explained by the competition for the adherence sites on the intestinal mucosa between pathogens and lactobacilli and by the production of inhibitory substances. The host specificity as well as different degree of the expression of adherent phenotype, which is conditioned, in addition to the effect of the external environment also by the presence of plasmids of adherence, present the important property of the adherence of lactobacilli. The host specificity of the lactobacilli is closely connected with the presence of the specific molecules of receptors on the host cells which can be distinguished by means of specific molecules of the bacterial cells. The competition for the nutrients to be found on the intestinal epithelium, which present the growth substrates for both the probiotic strains and the pathogens, may present an important factor influencing the colonization of lactobacilli. The inhibitory components of the lactobacilli comprise the production of bacteriocins, toxic metabolites of the oxygen and organic acids. The inhibitory spectrum of the bacteriocins is different; the overwhelming majority of them inhibits G+ bacteria within the genus or taxonomically close to the genus of Lactobacillus, others such as bulgaricin, acidolin, laktocidin, acidophilin and non-protein substance reuterin are active against a wide spectrum of G+, G- bacteria, yeasts and fungi. Of toxic oxygen metabolites, the production of hydrogen peroxide is of importance. The hydrogen peroxide along with lactoperoxidase-thiocyanate milk system exerts bacteriocid effects on most pathogens. The production of organic acids (lactic, acetic) by lactobacilli is considered to be the primary regulator of the gut microbial activity in animals. The lactic acid as a product of the intestinal fermentation is further metabolized by lactate utilizing bacteria to VFA, thus the environment of the digestive tract is acidified and the acidosensitive pathogens cannot exert their effect. When pH of the environment falls, the concentration of molecular (non-dissociated) form of weak organic acids (acetic acid, VFA) elevates. The above acids diffuse through the cell membrane into a cell, thereby exhibiting higher inhibitory capacity. In case the mechanism of the effect of probiotics is fully elucidated, the criteria of the selection could be more precisely defined and thereby also the efficiency of probiotics would be improved.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Unveiling the Probiotic Properties of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei UFTM 2.9 Through Probiogenomic Analysis.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) comprise a group of Gram-positive bacteria with biotechnological applications. LAB, including Lacticaseibacillus spp., are recognized as potential probiotics due to their ability to confer benefits to the host. Here we employ probiogenomic and in vitro analyses to characterize the probiotic potential of Lc. paracasei UFTM 2.9, a LAB that previously demonstrated probiotic properties in vitro. The draft genome of Lc. paracasei UFTM 2.9 comprises 127 contigs, totaling 3 216 252 base pairs, with a GC content of 46.20%. The bacteria showed metabolic versatility, growing in five carbon sources. A total of 170 genes potentially associated with probiotic characteristics were identified, with functions linked to stress resistance (n = 106), adhesion (n = 12), biosynthesis of vitamins (n = 10), and others. No virulence genes or CRISPR elements were detected, and two phages were identified in Lc. paracasei UFTM 2.9. Gene clusters encoding bacteriocins were detected and confirmed in vitro. Lc. paracasei UFTM 2.9 inhibited all indicator bacteria tested (n = 12), including strains of Listeria innocua, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Escherichia coli. The results indicate the potential use of Lc. paracasei UFTM 2.9 as a probiotic, considering its genetic potential to express traits of interest and survive in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).

Probiotics↗

PubMed2001

Effect of probiotics on enterocyte bacterial translocation in vitro.

Enteral probiotics such as Lactobacillus casei GG (LGG) have been used in the treatment of a variety of intestinal disorders in infants and children, including diarrhea, malabsorption, and Clostridium difficile colitis. We have previously demonstrated that the probiotic bacterium LGG has an inhibitory effect on bacterial translocation (BT) in a neonatal rabbit model. However, this in-vivo model is limited for investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for probiotic inhibition of BT. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of LGG in reducing the rate of Escherichia coli C25 (E. coli C25) translocation using an in-vitro enterocyte cell-culture model. Human colonic carcinoma (Caco-2) enterocytes were seeded in porous filters in the apical chamber of a two-chamber cell-culture system and grown for 14 days to confluence. The monolayers were incubated at 37 degrees C with LGG for 180 min. Non-adherent LGG was washed away prior to a 120-min incubation period with 10(5) CFU E. coli C25. E. coli that had translocated across the enterocyte monolayer were quantified by growing basal-chamber media samples on gram-negative bacteria-specific MacConkey's agar. In order to determine monolayer integrity, transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) was measured across Caco-2 cells treated with LGG and E. coli. Statistical analysis was by ANOVA with P < 0.05 considered significant. LGG inhibited E. coli translocation at all LGG concentrations tested. The TEER ratio was not significantly altered by addition of LGG or E. coli (0.9 +/- 0.03 vs 0.8 +/- 0.05). These results demonstrate that the probiotic bacterium LGG inhibits BT of E. coli C25 in a dose-dependent manner in an in-vitro cell-culture model. This model should be valuable in investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the inhibition of pathological enteral bacteria by probiotic agents.

Bacterial Translocation↗

PubMed2005

Lactobacillus fermentum, a probiotic capable to release glutathione, prevents colonic inflammation in the TNBS model of rat colitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with intestinal oxidative stress. In the present study we test the preventative effect of Lactobacillus fermentum, a probiotic that produces per se glutathione, in the trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid (TNBS) model of rat colitis. METHODS: Colitis was induced in rats by intracolonic administration of 10 mg of TNBS dissolved in 0.25 ml of 50% ethanol. L. fermentum was administered orally (5x10(8) CFU suspended in 0.5 ml of skim milk) to a group of rats for 3 weeks, starting 2 weeks before colitis induction. Colonic damage was evaluated both histologically and biochemically, and the colonic luminal contents were used for bacterial studies as well as for short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. RESULTS: L. fermentum treatment resulted in an amelioration of the inflammatory response in colitic rats as evidenced histologically and by a significant reduction of colonic MPO activity (P<0.05). The probiotic partially counteracted the colonic glutathione depletion induced by the inflammatory process. In addition, probiotic-treated colitic rats showed significant lower colonic tumour necrosis factor (TNF)alpha levels (P<0.01) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression when compared to non-treated rats. Finally, the probiotic induced growth of Lactobacilli species and production of SCFA in colonic contents in comparison with control colitic rats. CONCLUSION: Administration of the probiotic L. fermentum facilitates the recovery of the inflamed tissue in the TNBS model of rat colitis, an effect associated with increased levels of glutathione as well as with amelioration of the production of some of the mediators involved in the inflammatory response of the intestine, such as TNFalpha and NO.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2004

Microbial-gut interactions in health and disease. Probiotics.

The definition of probiotics has evolved from a live active culture which improves the balance of the gut microbiota composition to specific effects, in particular, the immunomodulatory potential of clearly defined strains. The strains with beneficial properties, potential sources of probiotics, most frequently belong to the genera Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, and some of these strains exhibit powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Indeed, probiotic therapy has attracted research interest in human infectious, inflammatory and allergic disease. The most fully documented disease altering the gut microbiota is acute infectious diarrhoea in childhood. Current probiotic research aims to provide safe but sufficient bacterial stimulus in order to avert deviant immune responsiveness related to allergic and inflammatory diseases. However, further rigorous scientific efforts are required to characterize the immunomodulatory potential of specific probiotic strains for these targets.

Bifidobacterium↗

PubMed2005

Cytokine expression in an ex vivo culture system of duodenal samples from dogs with chronic enteropathies: modulation by probiotic bacteria.

There is evidence that probiotics have immune-modulating effects on intestinal inflammation during chronic enteropathies (CE). In an ex vivo culture system we investigated the influence of probiotics on mRNA and protein expression levels of cytokines in intestinal samples from dogs suffering from CE. Duodenal samples of client-owned dogs with CE (group CE; n = 12) were collected during diagnostic endoscopy. Additional duodenal samples of gastrointestinally healthy dogs (group C; n = 4) from an unrelated study were available. Based on histopathological analyses, no pathological changes or only mild to moderate eosinophilic and/or lymphoplasmacytic duodenitis were diagnosed. Tissue samples were cultured: (1) with cell culture medium alone (negative control), (2) with a probiotic cocktail (PC), constituted of three Lactobacilli spp. from healthy canine fecal isolates, (3) with the individual strains of PC, and (4) with a placebo powder. Viability of intestinal tissue and probiotic bacteria before and after culture was evaluated. The mRNA abundance of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-12p40, interferon (IFN)-gamma, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Protein concentrations of IFN-gamma and IL-10 were measured in culture supernatant by ELISA. Results of RT-PCR were expressed as 2(-2DeltaCrossing Point) x 100 after normalization with beta-actin. There was a loss of about 1 log CFU/mL of probiotic bacteria during the incubation period. Viability of tissue was maintained as confirmed by non-significant release of lactate dehydrogenase. In C, addition of PC increased IL-10 mRNA levels (P < 0.1). In CE, PC increased mRNA and protein levels of IL-10 (P < 0.05). On the mRNA level, the ratio of TNFalpha-/IL-10, IFN-gamma/IL-10, and IL-12p40/IL-10 decreased after addition of PC (P < 0.05). The results demonstrate favorable effects of PC on regulatory cytokines relative to inflammatory cytokines that might contribute to reduction of intestinal inflammation.

Animals↗