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PubMed2000

Probiotics in the management of atopic eczema.

BACKGROUND: Over the last two decades the incidence of allergic diseases has increased in industrialized countries, and consequently new approaches have to be explored. OBJECTIVE: The potential of probiotics to control allergic inflammation at an early age was assessed in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. METHODS: A total of 27 infants, mean age 4.6 months, who manifested atopic eczema during exclusive breast-feeding and who have had no exposure to any infant or substitute formula were weaned to probiotic-supplemented, Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12 or Lactobacillus strain GG (ATCC 53103), extensively hydrolysed whey formulas or to the same formula without probiotics. The extent and severity of atopic eczema, the growth and nutrition of infants, and concentrations of circulating cytokines/chemokines and soluble cell surface adhesion molecules in serum and methyl-histamine and eosinophilic protein X in urine were determined. RESULTS: The SCORAD score reflecting the extent and severity of atopic eczema was 16 (7-25) during breast-feeding, median (interquartile range). After 2 months, a significant improvement in skin condition occurred in patients given probiotic-supplemented formulas, as compared to the unsupplemented group; chi(2) = 12.27, P = 0.002. SCORAD decreased in the Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12 group to 0 (0-3.8), and in the Lactobacillus GG group to 1 (0.1-8.7), vs unsupplemented 13.4 (4.5-18.2), median (interquartile range), in parallel with a reduction in the concentration of soluble CD4 in serum and eosinophilic protein X in urine. CONCLUSION: The results provide the first clinical demonstration of specific probiotic strains modifying the changes related to allergic inflammation. The data further indicate that probiotics may counteract inflammatory responses beyond the intestinal milieu. The combined effects of these probiotic strains will guide infants through the weaning period, when sensitization to newly encountered antigens is initiated. The probiotic approach may thus offer a new direction in the search for future foods for allergy treatment and prevention strategies.

Bifidobacterium↗

PubMed2002

Probiotics and inflammatory bowel disease: from fads and fantasy to facts and future.

Probiotic therapy is attracting the renewed interest of clinicians and basic investigators from a variety of traditional research disciplines. While the theoretical rationale for modifying the commensal flora of the gastrointestinal tract in specific circumstances appears sound and requires scientific pursuit, the field of probiotics has been clouded by exaggerated claims from some quarters. In general, many of the claims for therapeutic efficacy have not been well substantiated, but the field is now poised for evaluation within the realm of evidence-based medicine. Alterations in commensal bacterial flora within the gastrointestinal tract are associated with susceptibility to pathogens such as Clostridium difficile and there is persuasive evidence that the normal flora may participate in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic diseases in genetically susceptible individuals. This has prompted various strategies to fortify or otherwise modify the enteric flora by dietary supplements containing probiotic formulations. Detailed comparisons of probiotic performance amongst different bacterial strains have not been performed in vivo in man or under clinical trial conditions, and the level of scientific characterisation of individual organisms has been variable. In addition, it cannot be assumed that the same probiotic is equally suitable for all individuals. Moreover, the heterogeneity of clinical disorders such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis implies that strain-specific properties may be required for subset-specific categories of patients. While cocktails of probiotics offer convenience, therapeutic progress may require clarification of the mechanism of probiotic action and may be delayed until individual bacterial components have been rigorously studied. More importantly, the full potential of therapeutic manipulation of the enteric flora with probiotics or other strategies may not be optimally realised until the composition and metabolic activities of the normal flora are better understood.

Digestive System↗

PubMed2005

Short-term soy and probiotic supplementation does not markedly affect concentrations of reproductive hormones in postmenopausal women with and without histories of breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies suggest that dietary isoflavones reduce breast cancer risk, and this may be caused in part by effects on endogenous hormone concentrations. Because intestinal bacteria metabolize isoflavones, it was hypothesized that consumption of probiotic bacteria would enhance the biologic effects of isoflavones, including effects on endogenous hormones. DESIGN: Twenty (20) postmenopausal breast cancer survivors and 20 healthy postmenopausal women completed four 42-day diet periods in a randomized, crossover design. They received one of the following: isolated soy protein; isolated milk protein; soy + probiotic capsules; or milk + probiotic capsules. Each protein supplement provided 0.38 g protein/(kg body weight/day) (26.6 +/- 4.5 g protein/day) and soy protein provided 0.64 mg isoflavones/(kg body weight/day) (44.4 +/- 7.5 mg isoflavones/day). Probiotic capsules provided 10(9) colony-forming units Lactobacillus acidophilus (strain DDS-1), Bifidobacterium longum, and 15-20 mg fructo-oligosaccharide. MEASURES: Plasma samples were collected at baseline and after each diet for analysis of estrogens, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), androgens, and sex hormone?binding globulin (SHBG). RESULTS: Hormone levels were not affected by soy, probiotic supplements, or equol producer status, and neither cancer status nor equol producer status altered the effects of soy or probiotics. Furthermore probiotics did not alter the effects of soy consumption. Soy protein tended to decrease SHBG compared to milk protein diets (p = 0.05), although both proteins significantly decreased SHBG relative to baseline (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that short-term, moderate consumption of isoflavone-containing soy protein and consumption of these particular probiotic capsules do not significantly alter reproductive hormone concentrations in breast cancer survivors or controls, regardless of equol producer status.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2001

Probiotics: "living drugs".

The uses, mechanisms of action, and safety of probiotics are discussed. Probiotics are live microorganisms or microbial mixtures administered to improve the patient's microbial balance, particularly the environment of the gastrointestinal tract and the vagina. The yeast Saccharomyces boulardii and the bacterium Lactobacillus rhamnosus, strain GG, have shown efficacy in clinical trials for the prevention of antimicrobial-associated diarrhea. Other probiotics that have demonstrated at least some promise as prophylaxis for this type of diarrhea are Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, and Enterococcus faecium. The use of S. boulardii as an adjunctive treatment to therapy with metronidazole or vancomycin has been found in controlled studies to decrease further recurrences of Clostridium difficile-associated disease. Other gastrointestinal disorders for which probiotics have been studied include traveler's diarrhea, acute infantile diarrhea, and acute diarrhea in adults. Several Lactobacillus species given in yogurt or in tablet or suppository form have shown clinical efficacy as a treatment for vaginal infections. Lactobacillus strains have also been examined as a treatment for urinary-tract infections. Putative mechanisms of action of probiotics include production of pathogen-inhibitory substances, inhibition of pathogen attachment, inhibition of the action of microbial toxins, stimulation of immunoglobulin A, and trophic effects on intestinal mucosa. The available probiotics are considered nonpathogenic, but even benign microorganisms can be infective when a patient is severely debilitated or immunosuppressed. Probiotics have demonstrated an ability to prevent and treat some infections. Effective use of probiotics could decrease patients' exposure to antimicrobials. Additional controlled studies are needed to clearly define the safety and efficacy of these agents.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

The VSL# 3 probiotic mixture modifies microflora but does not heal chronic dextran-sodium sulfate-induced colitis or reinforce the mucus barrier in mice.

The mucus layer covering the epithelium is one of the main lines of defense of the colonic barrier. Both mucus gel and mucin expressions are altered during colonic inflammation and could be involved in epithelial repair. We postulated that modulating colonic mucus and mucins by probiotic supplementation could contribute to healing inflammatory mucosa. Our aim in this study was to determine whether probiotics could repair dextran-sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced chronic colitis in mice, and whether modifications of the colonic mucins could be involved. For that purpose, the VSL#3 probiotic mixture of 8 lactic acid bacteria probiotic strains was administered daily for 2 wk to mice with a mucosa impaired by a mild DSS treatment, and to mice with a normal mucosa. Probiotic strains survived in the gastrointestinal tract, increased the cecal concentrations of bifidobacteria, and modified cecal microflora metabolic activity in both DSS-treated and healthy mice. However, probiotic supplementation did not reverse the inflammation induced by DSS at either the macroscopic or histological level. Concurrently, probiotics did not modify the colonic mucus barrier, in terms of either mucin gene expression or adherent mucus layer thickness. In conclusion, the modification of microflora by supplementation with the VSL#3 probiotic mixture did not help to repair the colonic barrier breakdown caused by DSS treatment. The potential healing roles of mucins were neither confirmed nor invalidated by this study.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Probiotics and inflammatory bowel disease: is there a scientific rationale?

Most conventional forms of drug therapy suppress or modify the host immunoinflammatory response and neglect the other contributor to disease pathogenesis-the environmental microflora. Probiotics are live microbial food ingredients that alter the enteric microflora and have a beneficial effect on health. The rationale for using probiotics in IBD is mainly based on evidence from human studies and experimental animal models implicating intestinal bacteria in the pathogenesis of these disorders. The relationship between bacteria and intestinal inflammation is complex and does not appear to reflect a simple cause and effect. Similarly, the field of probiotics is complex and in need of rigorous research. Until the indigenous flora are better characterized and mechanisms of probiotic action defined, the promise of probiotics in IBD is unlikely to be fulfilled. Because of strain-specific variability and clinical and therapeutic heterogeneity within Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, it cannot be assumed that a given probiotic is equally suitable for all individuals. Although preliminary results of probiotic therapy in animal models and humans with ulcerative colitis and pouchitis have been encouraging, their efficacy in treatment or maintenance of remission of Crohn's disease remains to be clarified. However, the circumstantial evidence for some form of biotherapeutic modification of the enteric flora in Crohn's disease seems compelling. In the future, probiotics may offer a simple adjunct to conventional therapy with the emphasis on diet shifting from one of nutritional replenishment alone to a more functional role.

Colitis, Ulcerative↗

PubMed2004

Probiotics and the management of inflammatory bowel disease.

The demonstration that immune and epithelial cells can discriminate between different microbial species has extended our understanding of the actions of probiotics beyond simple barrier and antimicrobial concepts. Several probiotic mechanisms of action, relative to inflammatory bowel disease, have been elucidated: (1) competitive exclusion, whereby probiotics compete with microbial pathogens for a limited number of receptors present on the surface epithelium; (2) immunomodulation and/or stimulation of an immune response of gut-associated lymphoid and epithelial cells; (3) antimicrobial activity and suppression of pathogen growth; (4) enhancement of barrier function; and (5) induction of T cell apoptosis in the mucosal immune compartment. The unraveling of these mechanisms of action has led to new support for the use of probiotics in the management of clinical inflammatory bowel disease. Though level 1 evidence now supports the therapeutic use of probiotics in the treatment of postoperative pouchitis, only levels 2 and 3 evidence is currently available in support of the use of probiotics in the treatment of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Nevertheless, one significant and consistent finding has emerged during the course of research in the past year: not all probiotic bacteria have similar therapeutic effects. Rigorously designed, controlled clinical trials are vital to investigate the unresolved issues related to efficacy, dose, duration of use, single or multi-strain formulation, and the concomitant use of probiotics, synbiotics, or antibiotics.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2019

Unique genetic basis of the distinct antibiotic potency of high acetic acid production in the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii.

The yeast Saccharomyces boulardii has been used worldwide as a popular, commercial probiotic, but the basis of its probiotic action remains obscure. It is considered conspecific with budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is generally used in classical food applications. They have an almost identical genome sequence, making the genetic basis of probiotic potency in S. boulardii puzzling. We now show that S. boulardii produces at 37°C unusually high levels of acetic acid, which is strongly inhibitory to bacterial growth in agar-well diffusion assays and could be vital for its unique application as a probiotic among yeasts. Using pooled-segregant whole-genome sequence analysis with S. boulardii and S. cerevisiae parent strains, we succeeded in mapping the underlying QTLs and identified mutant alleles of SDH1 and WHI2 as the causative alleles. Both genes contain a SNP unique to S. boulardii (sdh1 F317Y and whi2 S287*) and are fully responsible for its high acetic acid production. S. boulardii strains show different levels of acetic acid production, depending on the copy number of the whi2 S287* allele. Our results offer the first molecular explanation as to why S. boulardii could exert probiotic action as opposed to S. cerevisiae They reveal for the first time the molecular-genetic basis of a probiotic action-related trait in S. boulardii and show that antibacterial potency of a probiotic microorganism can be due to strain-specific mutations within the same species. We suggest that acquisition of antibacterial activity through medium acidification offered a selective advantage to S. boulardii in its ecological niche and for its application as a probiotic.

Acetic Acid↗

PubMed2005

Probiotics: facts and myths.

In recent years there has been a significant upsurge in research on the characterisation and verification of the potential health benefits associated with the use of probiotics. In addition, the market for probiotics continues to expand exponentially as consumers (mostly healthy individuals) rely on health claims made by manufacturers to make their choices. This review appraises the available evidence for and against the health claims associated with probiotics. The use of probiotics in promoting gastrointestinal health and immunity, and their use in the prevention of urogenital infections, allergies and cancer are reviewed. Furthermore, issues surrounding the use of probiotics in healthy individuals, the safety of probiotics and regulatory concerns are addressed. There is scientific evidence that specific strains of probiotic microorganisms confer health benefits on the host and are safe for human use. However, this evidence cannot be extrapolated to other strains, as these effects are strain-specific. Probiotics have potential health benefits for conditions such as gastrointestinal infections, genitourinary infections, allergies and certain bowel disorders, all of which afflict a considerable proportion of the global population. However, considerable work is still needed to confirm these potential health benefits.

Consumer Product Safety↗

PubMed2004

Bacterial probiotic modulation of dendritic cells.

Intestinal dendritic cells are continually exposed to ingested microorganisms and high concentrations of endogenous bacterial flora. These cells can be activated by infectious agents and other stimuli to induce T-cell responses and to produce chemokines which recruit other cells to the local environment. Bacterial probiotics are of increasing use against intestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease. They act as nonpathogenic stimuli within the gut to regain immunologic quiescence. This study was designed to determine the ability of a bacterial probiotic cocktail VSL#3 to alter cell surface antigen expression and cytokine production in bone marrow-derived dendritic cell-enriched populations. Cell surface phenotype was monitored by monoclonal fluorescent antibody staining, and cytokine levels were quantitated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. High-dose probiotic upregulated the expression of C80, CD86, CD40, and major histocompatibility complex class II I-Ad. Neither B7-DC or B7RP-1 was augmented after low-dose probiotic or Lactobacillus casei treatment, but B7RP-1 showed increased expression on dendritic cells stimulated with the gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. Functional studies showed that probiotic did not enhance the ability of dendritic cells to induce allogeneic T-cell proliferation, as was observed for E. coli. Substantial enhancement of interleukin-10 release was observed in dendritic cell-enriched culture supernatants after 3 days of probiotic stimulation. These results demonstrate that probiotics possess the ability to modulate dendritic cell surface phenotype and cytokine release in granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-stimulated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. Regulation of dendritic cell cytokines by probiotics may contribute to the benefit of these molecules in treatment of intestinal diseases.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Probiotics in prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhoea: meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate efficacy of probiotics in prevention and treatment of diarrhoea associated with the use of antibiotics. DESIGN: Meta-analysis; outcome data (proportion of patients not getting diarrhoea) were analysed, pooled, and compared to determine odds ratios in treated and control groups. IDENTIFICATION: Studies identified by searching Medline between 1966 and 2000 and the Cochrane Library. Studies reviewed Nine randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trials of probiotics. RESULTS: Two of the nine studies investigated the effects of probiotics in children. Four trials used a yeast (Saccharomyces boulardii), four used lactobacilli, and one used a strain of enterococcus that produced lactic acid. Three trials used a combination of probiotic strains of bacteria. In all nine trials, the probiotics were given in combination with antibiotics and the control groups received placebo and antibiotics. The odds ratio in favour of active treatment over placebo in preventing diarrhoea associated with antibiotics was 0.39 (95% confidence interval 0.25 to 0.62; P<0.001) for the yeast and 0.34 (0.19 to 0.61; P<0.01 for lactobacilli. The combined odds ratio was 0.37 (0.26 to 0.53; P<0.001) in favour of active treatment over placebo. CONCLUSIONS: The meta-analysis suggests that probiotics can be used to prevent antibiotic associated diarrhoea and that S boulardii and lactobacilli have the potential to be used in this situation. The efficacy of probiotics in treating antibiotic associated diarrhoea remains to be proved. A further large trial in which probiotics are used as preventive agents should look at the costs of and need for routine use of these agents.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed2006

Influence of daily consumption of probiotic and conventional yoghurt on the plasma lipid profile in young healthy women.

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have found conflicting results concerning the modulation of plasma lipids induced by probiotics. Therefore, the aim of this study was to verify and compare the effects of probiotic and conventional yoghurt on the plasma lipid profile of normocholesterolemic women. METHODS: In this study, female volunteers consumed 100 g/day of probiotic (n = 17) or conventional yoghurt (n = 16) for 2 weeks (T1-T2) and 200 g/day for further 2 weeks (T2-T3). A washout phase lasting 2 weeks followed (T4). Total and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides were determined by enzymatic methods; LDL cholesterol was calculated using the Friedewald formula. RESULTS: The average concentration of total cholesterol was consistent throughout the whole study in the control group, but decreased significantly (p < 0.01) in the probiotic group consuming 200 g yoghurt/day (T2-T3). During the period of daily yoghurt intake (T1-T3) the mean HDL cholesterol level increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the probiotic group, resulting in a significant (p < 0.05) improvement of the total/HDL cholesterol ratio. The significant (p < 0.01) reduction of the average plasma LDL cholesterol values found in this period (T1-T3) in the probiotic and the control groups was associated with a significant (p < 0.05) improvement of the LDL/HDL cholesterol ratios in both tested groups. CONCLUSION: Although several lipid parameters changed during the study in both the probiotic and the control group, no significant differences between the groups were observed. Therefore, it can be concluded that the regular consumption of both probiotic and conventional yoghurt for 4 weeks had a positive effect on the lipid profile in plasma of healthy women.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Impact of two probiotic Lactobacillus strains feeding on fecal lactobacilli and weight gains in chicken.

Two probiotic strains, Lactobacillus agilis JCM 1048 and L. salivarius subsp. salicinius JCM 1230 isolated from chicken intestine, exhibited probiotic characteristics that can be applied for chicken production. After 7 days of probiotic feeding (FD7), the count of intestinal lactobacilli in the probiotic group (group P, n=10) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that in the control group (group C, n=9). After 40 days of probiotic feeding (FD40), the lactobacilli and enterococci counts were stable but the Enterobacteriaceae number was significantly reduced (p<0.05). A total of 163 isolated lactobacilli were identified as the L. acidophilus/gallinarum group (49.7%), L. agilis (30.7%), L. salivarius (9.2%), L. reuteri (9.2%), and Lactobacillus spp. (1.2%). The probiotic lactobacilli positively affected the Lactobacillus biota in chickens at FD7, with a significant increase in the number (p<0.05) of L. agilis and group P. The viable counts of each Lactobacillus species at FD40, however, showed no differences between two groups. An increasing incidence of L. agilis was also noted with probiotic feeding. The probiotic effect of two strains resulted in significantly increased weight gains (10.7%) of group P in comparison with group C at FD40 (p<0.01).

Animal Feed↗

PubMed2006

Performance, diarrhea incidence, and occurrence of Escherichia coli virulence genes during long-term administration of a probiotic Enterococcus faecium strain to sows and piglets.

As part of an interdisciplinary research project, the performance response of sows and their litters to the probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 10415, as well as some health characteristics of the piglets, were studied. Gestating sows (n = 26) were randomly allotted into 2 groups. The probiotic was administered by dietary supplementation to 1 group of sows and their respective litters (probiotic group), whereas the second group (control group) received no probiotic supplementation. The duration of the treatment was nearly 17 wk for sows (d 90 ante partum until d 28 postpartum) and 6 wk for piglets (d 15 to 56). Body weight and feed consumption were recorded weekly. The frequency of 4 toxin and 5 adhesion genes of putative pathogenic Escherichia coli was monitored weekly (d 7 to 35) by multiplex PCR assays, and fecal consistency of weaned piglets was studied daily. Probiotic treatment of lactating sows led to an overall pre-weaning mortality of 16.2% compared with 22.3% in the control group (P = 0.44). Animal losses during the first 3 d of the suckling period were decreased in the probiotic group (P = 0.09). For piglets (n = 153), which were weaned at 28 d, there were no overall treatment differences in BW gain, feed intake, or feed efficiency. Probiotic supplementation, however, led to nearly a 40% reduction (P = 0.012). The actual percentage of piglets with postweaning diarrhea in the probiotic group was 21% compared with 38% in the control group (P = 0.05). The study on virulence factors of dominant fecal E. coli isolates revealed a high diversity with varying frequency and distribution of each single pathogenicity gene. The 440 isolates carried 29 different pathogenicity gene combinations as well as each of the 9 pathogenicity genes alone. Altogether, isolates with more than 2 pathogenicity genes were quite rare (< or = 10%), and up until d 28 isolates without any pathogenicity gene occurred most frequently. Depending on the time of sampling, one-third or more of all isolates contained est2 or est1b as single gene or in combination with other pathogenicity genes.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed2005

Comparison of probiotics and lactulose in the treatment of minimal hepatic encephalopathy in rats.

AIM: To compare the efficacy of probiotic preparation Golden Bifid and lactulose on rat experimental model of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) induced by thioactamide (TAA). METHODS: MHE was induced by intraperitoneal injection of TAA (200 mg/kg) every 24 h for two consecutive days. Thirty-six male MHE models were then randomly divided into 3 groups: TAA group (n = 12) received tap water ad libitum only; lactulose group (n = 12) and probiotics group (n = 12) were gavaged, respectively with 8 mL/kg of lactulose and 1.5 g/kg of probiotic preparation Golden Bifid (highly concentrated combination of probiotic) dissolved in 2 mL of normal saline, once a day for 8 d (from the 5(th) d before the experiment to the 3(rd) d of the experiment). The latency of brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) I was used as an objective index of MHE. The incidence of MHE, the level of serum endotoxin, ammonia, liver function and histological grade of hepatic injury of rats were examined individually. RESULTS: There were no overt HE and rat deaths in 3 groups. The incidence of MHE, the levels of blood ammonia and endotoxin in TAA group, which were 83.3% (10/12), 168.33+/-15.44 mg/dL and 0.36+/-0.04 EU/mL, respectively, were significantly higher than those in lactulose group, which were 33.3% (4/12), 110.25+/-7.39 mg/dL and 0.19+/-0.02 EU/mL, and probiotics group, which were 33.3% (4/12), 108.58+/-10.24 mg/dL and 0.13+/-0.03 EU/mL respectively (P<0.001). It showed that either probiotics or lactulose could significantly lower the level of hyperammonemia and hyper-endotoxemia, lighten centrolobular necrotic areas as well as inflammatory reaction in the liver of rats, normalize the latency of BAEP, and decrease the incidence of MHE. However, no significant differences were observed between these two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Probiotic compound Golden Bifid is at least as useful as lactulose for the prevention and treatment of MHE. Probiotic therapy may be a safe, natural, well-tolerated therapy appropriate for the long-term treatment of MHE.

Ammonia↗

PubMed2004

The rationale for probiotics in female urogenital healthcare.

Urogenital infections are a major reason that women visit their family physician and are referred to gastroenterology, gynecology, urology, and infectious disease specialists. The association between abnormal vaginal microbiota and increased risk for sexually transmitted infections, bladder and vaginal infections per se, and a higher rate of preterm labor indicate the need to better understand and manage urogenital health. The concept of probiotics arose from the realization that humans are inhabited with microbes from birth and that these organisms play a role in preventing disease. Defined as "live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host," probiotic strains have already been shown to effectively prevent diarrhea and to hold potential in preventing and treating tonsillitis, caries, renal calculi, and respiratory infections. This review provides a rationale for the use of probiotics in maintaining female vaginal and bladder health and as a treatment option for recurrent bacterial vaginosis, urinary tract infection, yeast vaginitis, and sexually transmitted infections. We consider only probiotic strains that fulfill the United Nations/World Health Organization Guidelines for Probiotics in being fully characterized and clinically documented through scientific investigations describing known or presumed mechanisms of action. Although medical practitioners as yet are unable to access these probiotic strains, an awareness of recent and ongoing research for probiotics is important, as results are encouraging. The concept of probiotic therapy is familiar to many consumers and although it has historically lacked credibility in the medical community, perceptions are changing.

Bacterial Infections↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of an avian-specific probiotic to reduce the colonization and shedding of Campylobacter jejuni in broilers.

Campylobacter jejuni has often been responsible for human gastroenteritis. Poultry have often been implicated as a source for these human infections. Intestinal colonization of C. jejuni in the chicken plays a role in carcass contamination during slaughter. Thus, reducing C. jejuni colonization in chickens can potentially reduce the incidence of C. jejuni infections in humans. The use of probiotics to competitively exclude the colonization of intestinal pathogens has been proposed for poultry. Hence, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of an avian-specific probiotic containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Streptococcus faecium for reducing the shedding and colonization of C. jejuni in the chicken intestinal tract. Day-old chicks were randomly allocated into either a probiotic-treated group or a control group. The treated group was given probiotic from day 1 to day 3, and the control group was not given any probiotic. Six hours after the first oral administration of probiotics (treatment) or double distilled water (control), these chicks were challenged with C. jejuni. The frequency of the C. jejuni shedding was monitored until market age. Intestinal colonization was determined for the two experimental groups at slaughter. Results indicated that chickens given probiotics from day 1 to day 3 had a 70% reduction in the frequency of C. jejuni shedding in colonized chicks (P = 0.0001) and a 27% reduction in jejunal colonization in colonized chicks (P = 0.0001) at slaughter when compared with the control group. Thus, the use of the avian-specific probiotic containing L. acidophilus and S. faecium can reduce the colonization and frequency of fecal shedding of C. jejuni in market-aged broilers.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2001

Glucose but Not Polypeptone Reduces the Effect of Probiotic Preparations to Stimulate Carbohydrate Breakdown and Reduce Net Ammonia Production by Pig Cecal Bacteria In Vitro.

Probiotic preparations are used to prevent or treat diarrhea. Probiotic preparations increase the in vitro breakdown of carbohydrates and decrease that of protein by mixed cecal bacteria in the absence of readily fermentable materials. Diarrhea can increase the influx of readily digestible materials into the large intestine. Therefore, we compared production of organic acids and ammonia in batch cultures using pig cecal contents with or without probiotic preparations (Clostridium butyricum, Lactobacillus casei plus Bifidobacterium breve, or L. casei plus Enterococcus faecalis) and with or without readily fermentable substrates (glucose or polypeptone). Effects of additional substrates appeared earlier than those of probiotic preparations. Both probiotic preparations and glucose increased the production of most short-chain fatty acids and lactic acid but decreased those of ammonia and isovaleric acid. Effects of probiotic preparations and glucose were not additive. Effects of different preparations were alike. Polypeptone increased the production of ammonia and isovaleric acid independent of probiotic preparations. Effects of probiotics and glucose may be to provide either energy or carbon to the microbial ecosystem. Effects of glucose were probably mediated through their direct utilization by indigenous bacteria.

Journal Article↗