A gastrointestinal anti-infectious biotherapeutic agent: the heat-treated Lactobacillus LB

Benefits of heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant status, immunity, and cecal microbiota of rabbits

Introduction

Heat-killed probiotics, as a type of inactivated beneficial microorganisms, possess an extended shelf life and broader adaptability compared to their live counterparts. This study aimed to investigate the impact of heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus, LA) - a deactivated probiotic on the growth performance, digestibility, antioxidant status, immunity and cecal microbiota of rabbits.

Methods

Two hundred weaned Hyla rabbits were randomly allocated into five equal groups (CON, L200, L400, L600, and L800). Over a 28-day period, the rabbits were fed basal diets supplemented with 0, 200, 400, 600, and 800 mg/kg of heat-killed LA, respectively.

Results

Results revealed a significant reduction in the feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) in the L600 and L800 groups (p < 0.05). Additionally, the L800 group exhibited significantly higher apparent digestibility of crude fiber (CF) and crude protein (CP) (p < 0.05). Regarding digestive enzyme activities, enhanced trypsin and fibrinase activities were observed in the L600 and L800 groups (p < 0.05). Concerning the regulation of the body's antioxidant status, the L800 group demonstrated elevated levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in both serum and ileal tissue (p < 0.05). In terms of immune capacity modulation, serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were significantly lower in the L600 and L800 groups (p < 0.05), while immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels were higher (p < 0.05). Additionally, the L800 group exhibited a substantial increase in secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) levels in the intestinal mucosa (p < 0.05). In comparison to the CON group, the L800 group exhibited a significant increase in the relative abundance of Phascolarctobacterium and Alistipes in the cecum (p < 0.05). Phascolarctobacterium demonstrated a positive correlation with SIgA (p < 0.05), IgM (p < 0.01), and Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) (p < 0.05), while displaying a negative correlation with TNF-α levels (p < 0.05). Concurrently, Alistipes exhibited positive correlations with IgA (p < 0.05), IgM (p < 0.05), SIgA (p < 0.01), GSH-Px (p < 0.05), SOD (p < 0.05), and T-AOC (p < 0.01), and a negative correlation with TNF-α (p < 0.05).

Discussion

In conclusion, the dietary incorporation of 600 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg of heat-killed LA positively influenced the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant status, immune capacity and cecal microbiota of rabbits. This highlights the potential benefits of utilizing heat-killed probiotics in animal nutrition.

Paraprobiotics: definition, manufacturing methods, and functionality

Probiotics are living microorganisms that are beneficial to the host, enhancing the immune response by promoting antibody production, regulating cytokine secretion, and stimulating T cells. However, probiotics have limitations in that they require viability control and have a short shelf life. Recently, the use of paraprobiotics has gained attention. These include dead bacterial cells, bacterial fractions, and cell lysate that have health benefits and are stable and safe for use. Paraprobiotics comprise molecules of bacterial cell wall compounds, such as peptidoglycans, teichoic acids, polysaccharides, and cell surface proteins. Paraprobiotics are manufactured by a diverse range of techniques, including thermal treatments, high pressure, ultraviolet rays, sonication, ionizing radiation, and pH modification. Their beneficial health effects include immunomodulatory, intestinal balancing, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities. Therefore, this review summarizes and discusses the manufacturing methods and bioavailability of paraprobiotics and suggests their potential health advantages.

Effects of a Lactobacillus fermentation product on the fecal characteristics, fecal microbial populations, immune function, and stress markers of adult dogs

The objective of this study was to measure the effects of a Lactobacillus fermentation product (LBFP) on fecal characteristics and microbiota, blood biomarkers, immune function, and serum oxidative stress markers of adult dogs. Thirty adult beagle dogs [23 M, 7 F; mean age = 8.47 ± 2.65 yr old; mean BW = 15.43 ± 4.17 kg] were used in a completely randomized design study. All dogs were fed a basal diet to maintain BW for 5 wk, followed by baseline blood and fecal sample collections. Dogs remained on the same diet, but then were randomly assigned to a placebo (dextrose) or LBFP supplement (Limosilactobacillus fermentum and Lactobacillus delbrueckii). Both treatments were dosed at 4 mg/kg BW via gelatin capsule for 5 wk (n = 15/treatment). Fecal and blood samples were collected at that time. Change from baseline data were analyzed using the Mixed Models procedure of SAS 9.4, with P < 0.05 being significant and P < 0.10 being trends. Most circulating metabolites and immunoglobulins (Ig) were unaltered by treatment, but LBFP-supplemented dogs had lower changes in serum corticosteroid isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (P < 0.05), alanine aminotransferase (P < 0.10), and IgM (P < 0.10) than controls. The change in fecal scores tended to be lower (P = 0.068) in LBFP-supplemented dogs than controls, signifying firmer feces in LBFP-supplemented dogs. Regarding the fecal microbiota, alpha diversity indicators tended to be higher (P = 0.087) in LBFP-supplemented dogs than controls. One fecal bacterial phylum (Actinobacteriota) was altered by treatments, with its relative abundance tending to have a greater (P < 0.10) increase in controls than LBFP-supplemented dogs. Fifteen bacterial genera were altered (P < 0.05 or P < 0.10) by treatments, including relative abundances of fecal Peptoclostridium, Sarcina, and Faecalitalea that had a greater (P < 0.05) increase in controls than LBFP-supplemented dogs. In contrast, relative abundances of fecal Faecalibaculum, Bifidobacterium, and uncultured Butyricicoccaceae had a greater (P ≤ 0.05) increase in LBFP-supplemented dogs than controls. After week 5, dogs underwent transport stress (45-min vehicle ride) to assess oxidative stress markers. The change in serum superoxide dismutase after transport had a greater (P < 0.0001) increase in LBFP-supplemented dogs than controls. Our data suggest that LBFP may provide benefits to dogs by stabilizing stool quality, beneficially shifting fecal microbiota, and protecting against oxidative damage when subjected to stress.

Postbiotic effects of Lactobacillus fermentate on intestinal health, mucosa-associated microbiota, and growth efficiency of nursery pigs challenged with F18+Escherichia coli

This study determined the supplemental effects of Lactobacillus fermentate (LBF, Adare Biome, France) on intestinal health and prevention of postweaning diarrhea caused by F18+Escherichia coli in nursery pigs. Sixty-four weaned pigs (6.6 ± 0.7 kg body weight) were allotted in a randomized complete block design to four treatments: NC: no challenge/no supplement; PC: E. coli challenge/no supplement; AGP: E. coli challenge/bacitracin (30 g/t feed); and PBT: E. coli challenge/LBF (2 kg/t feed). Bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) was used as a source of bacitracin. On day 7, challenged groups were orally inoculated with F18+E. coli (2.4 × 1010 CFU), whereas NC received sterile saline solution. Growth performance was analyzed weekly, and pigs were euthanized at the end of 28 d feeding to analyze intestinal health. Data were analyzed using the Mixed procedure of SAS 9.4. During the post-challenge period, PC tended to decrease (P = 0.067) average daily gain (ADG) when compared with NC, whereas AGP increased (P < 0.05) when compared with PC; PBT tended to increase (P = 0.081) ADG when compared with PC. The PC increased fecal score (P < 0.05) during day 7 to 14 when compared with NC, whereas AGP decreased it (P < 0.05) during day 14 to 21 when compared with PC. The PC increased (P < 0.05) protein carbonyl, crypt cell proliferation, and the relative abundance of Helicobacter rodentium when compared with NC. However, AGP decreased (P < 0.05) crypt cell proliferation and H. rodentium and increased (P < 0.05) villus height, Bifidobacterium boum, Pelomonas spp., and Microbacterium ginsengisoli when compared with PC. The PBT reduced (P < 0.05) crypt cell proliferation and H. rodentium and increased (P < 0.05) Lactobacillus salivarius and Propionibacterium acnes when compared with PC. At the genus level, AGP and PBT increased (P < 0.05) the alpha diversity of jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota in pigs estimated with Chao1 richness estimator when compared with PC. Collectively, F18+E. coli reduced growth performance by adversely affecting microbiota and intestinal health. The LBF and BMD improved growth performance, and it was related to the enhanced intestinal health and increased diversity and abundance of beneficial microbiota in pigs challenged with F18+E. coli.

Gut health benefit and application of postbiotics in animal production

Gut homeostasis is of importance to host health and imbalance of the gut usually leads to disorders or diseases for both human and animal. Postbiotics have been applied in manipulating of gut health, and utilization of postbiotics threads new lights into the host health. Compared with the application of probiotics, the characteristics such as stability and safety of postbiotics make it a potential alternative to probiotics. Studies have reported the beneficial effects of components derived from postbiotics, mainly through the mechanisms including inhibition of pathogens, strengthen gut barrier, and/or regulation of immunity of the host. In this review, we summarized the characteristics of postbiotics, main compounds of postbiotics, potential mechanisms in gut health, and their application in animal production.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Lactobacillus acidophilus for Treating Acute Gastroenteritis in Children

The efficacy of probiotic strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus to manage acute gastroenteritis in children is still not established. We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, and three Chinese literature databases (CNKI, WanFang, and CBM) from their inception to February 2021 for RCTs that compared the use of Lactobacillus acidophilus with no Lactobacillus acidophilus. The grey literature was searched through Google Scholar. Authors of the original papers were contacted for additional data. The study included a total of 15 RCTs involving 1765 patients. Compared with placebo or no treatment, Lactobacillus acidophilus was associated with a reduced duration of diarrhea (moderate quality of evidence), but the effect was not statistically significant when only the individual probiotic strain was provided. Lactobacillus acidophilus was effective when used at a daily dose ≥ 10⁹ CFU. There was no difference in the effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus on diarrhea duration among Asian, European, or American countries. Lactobacillus acidophilus reduced the frequency of diarrhea on day 2 to day 5. However, it was statistically significant on day 3. When administered at a dosage of more than 10⁹ CFU to children with acute gastroenteritis, moderate- to low-quality data showed that Lactobacillus acidophilus reduced the duration of diarrhea and conferred a benefit for frequency of diarrhea.

Involvement of Probiotics and Postbiotics in the Immune System Modulation

Intestinal microbiota interacts with other systems, especially the immune system, which is responsible for protecting the body by recognizing “stranger” (pathogen associated molecular patterns-PAMPs) and “danger” (damage-associated molecular patterns-DAMPs) molecular motifs. In this manner, it plays an important role in the pathogenesis of various diseases and health. Despite the use of probiotics that modulate the intestinal microbiota in providing health benefits and in the treatment of diseases, there are some possible concerns about the possibility of developing adverse effects, especially in people with suppressed immune systems. Since probiotics provide health benefits with bioactive compounds, studies are carried out on the use of products containing non-living probiotic microorganisms (paraprobiotics) and/or their metabolites (postbiotics) instead of probiotic products. It is even reported that these microbial compounds have more immunomodulatory activities than living microorganisms via some possible mechanism and eliminates some disadvantages of probiotics. Considering the increasing use of functional foods in health and disease, further studies are needed with respect to the benefits and advantages of parabiotic and/or postbiotic use in the food and pharmaceutical industry as well as immune system modulation. Although probiotics have been extensive studied for a long time, it seems that postbiotics are promising tools for future research and applications according to the recent literature. This review aimed to evaluate the interaction of probiotics and postbiotics with the immune systems and also their advantages and disadvantages in the area of food-pharmaceutical industry and immune system modulation.

A postbiotic consisting of heat-treated lactobacilli has a bifidogenic effect in pure culture and in human fermented faecal communities

The gut microbiota has a significant impact on host health. Dietary interventions using probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics have the potential to alter microbiota composition and function. Other therapeutic interventions such as antibiotics and faecal microbiota transplantation have also been shown to significantly alter the microbiota and its metabolites. Supplementation of a faecal fermentation model of the human gut with a postbiotic product Lactobacillus LB led to changes in microbiome composition (i.e. increase in beneficial bifidobacteria) and associated metabolic changes (i.e. increased acid production). Lactobacillus LB is a heat-treated preparation of cellular biomass and a fermentate generated by Limosilactobacillus fermentum CNCM MA65/4E-1b (formerly known as Lactobacillus fermentum CNCM MA65/4E-1b) and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii CNCM MA65/4E-2z, medically relevant strains used to produce antidiarrheal preparations. In pure culture, Lactobacillus LB also stimulates the growth of a range of bifidobacterial species and strains. Lactobacillus LB-like preparations generated using other Lactobacillaceae, including commercially available probiotic bacteria, did not have the same impact on a model strain (Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis ATCC 15697). This bifidogenic activity is heat- and enzyme-stable and cannot be attributed to lactose, which is a major constituent of Lactobacillus LB. L fermentum CNCM MA65/4E-1b is largely responsible for the observed activity and there is a clear role for compounds smaller than 1 kDa.Importance In general, disruptions to the gut microbiota are associated with multiple disorders in humans. The presence of high levels of Bifidobacterium spp. in the human gut is commonly considered to be beneficial. Bifidobacteria can be supplemented in the diet (as probiotics) or those bifidobacteria already present in the gut can be stimulated by the consumption of prebiotics such as inulin. We demonstrate that Lactobacillus LB (a product consisting of two heat-killed lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites) can stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria in human fermented faecal communities and in pure culture. Given the heat-treatment applied during the production process, there is no risk of the lactic acid bacteria colonising (or causing bacteraemia) in vulnerable consumers (infants, immunocompromised, etc). Lactobacillus LB has the potential to affect human health by selectively promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria.

In Vitro Exploration of Probiotic Bacteria Interactions with Candida Using Culture Techniques to Model Dysbiotic Conditions in Colonized Tissues

Candida albicans overgrowth at various mucosal sites is an ongoing and complex clinical concern involving interactions with indigenous microbiota and therapeutic or preventive measures superimposed on the pathogen-microbiome interaction. In this paper we describe the use of quantitative flow cytometry (specific to the cytometer’s sample introduction mechanism) to explore the in vitro interaction between Candida albicans, probiotic lactobacilli and a topical vaginal therapeutic. Our central hypothesis was cytometric measurements of co-cultures of yeast and bacteria could provide a useful method for exploring the dynamics of different microbial species in culture, with and without inhibitors. Two commercial products were used as exemplars for this research, a vaginal antimicrobial gel and two species of probiotic lactobacillus intended or oral administration with crystalline bovine lactoferrin to augment the vaginal gel. The cytometer forward channel height parameter distinguished yeast from bacteria in co-culture experiments in the presence of a vaginal therapeutic gel or components of its formulation including EDTA, glycogen, polydextrose as well as the host defense factor, lactoferrin. Flow cytometry showed lactobacilli influenced yeast counts in co-culture, with the technique lending itself to wide-ranging test conditions including organisms, media composition and screening of various antimicrobials. Key findings: The proprietary vaginal gel augmented the effect of lactobacilli, as did EDTA and lactoferrin. Prebiotic compounds also enhanced Candida inhibition by lactobacilli. Propidium iodide (Fluorescence channel 3) discriminated between necrotic and non-necrotic yeast and bacteria in co-cultures under various culture conditions. This research demonstrates the value of flow cytometry to evaluate the population dynamics of yeast and bacteria in co-culture using a proprietary product and its components. We discuss both the limitations of the current study and describe how methods employed here would be transferrable to the investigation of organisms present in defined cultures or at body sites colonized by fungal species and the effects of therapeutics or probiotics on Candida.

Lactobacillus acidophilus LB: a useful pharmabiotic for the treatment of digestive disorders

Dysbiosis, a loss of balance between resident bacterial communities and their host, is associated with multiple diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases (nonspecific chronic ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease), and digestive functional disorders. Probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotic organisms and, more recently, pharmabiotics, have been shown to modulate the human microbiota. In this review, we provide an overview of the key concepts relating to probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotic organisms, and pharmabiotics, with a focus on available clinical evidence regarding the specific use of a unique pharmabiotic, the strain Lactobacillus acidophilus LB (Lactobacillus boucardii), for the management of gastrointestinal disorders. Since it does not contain living organisms, the administration of L. acidophilus LB is effective and safe as an adjuvant in the treatment of acute diarrhea, chronic diarrhea, and antibiotic-associated diarrhea, even in the presence of immunosuppression.

Postbiotics against Pathogens Commonly Involved in Pediatric Infectious Diseases

The Sustainable Development goals for 2020 included reducing all causes associated with infant and perinatal mortality in their priorities. The use of compounds with bioactive properties has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy due to their stimulating effect on the host's immune system. Additionally, biotherapeutic products such as postbiotics, tentatively defined as compounds produced during a fermentation process that support health and well-being, promote intestinal barrier integrity without posing considerable risks to children's health. Although this is a concept in development, there are increasing studies in the field of nutrition, chemistry, and health that aim to understand how postbiotics can help prevent different types of infections in priority populations such as minors under the age of five. The present review aims to describe the main mechanisms of action of postbiotics. In addition, it presents the available current evidence regarding the effects of postbiotics against pathogens commonly involved in pediatric infections. Postbiotics may constitute a safe alternative capable of modulating the cellular response and stimulating the host's humoral response.

Postbiotics and paraprobiotics: A review of current evidence and emerging trends

In recent years, new probiotic-related concepts such as postbiotics and paraprobiotics have been coined to indicate that non-viable microorganisms or bacterial-free extracts may provide benefits to the host by offering additional bioactivities to probiotics, including but not limited to anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-proliferative and antioxidant activities. Despite in vitro and in vivo studies that support the promising use of postbiotics and paraprobiotics as health promoters, the mechanism of action and the signaling pathway involved have not yet been fully elucidated. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of novel probiotic-related concepts and the scientific evidence that supports their bioactivities as well as the possible mechanisms underlying their health-promoting effects. Additionally, current trends in food, feed, and pharmaceutical applications are discussed.

Postbiotics for Preventing and Treating Common Infectious Diseases in Children: A Systematic Review

Postbiotics have recently been tentatively defined as bioactive compounds produced during a fermentation process (including microbial cells, cell constituents and metabolites) that supports health and/or wellbeing. Postbiotics are currently available in some infant formulas and fermented foods. We systematically reviewed evidence on postbiotics for preventing and treating common infectious diseases among children younger than 5 years. The PubMed, Embase, SpringerLink, and ScienceDirect databases were searched up to March 2019 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing postbiotics with placebo or no intervention. Seven RCTs involving 1740 children met the inclusion criteria. For therapeutic trials, supplementation with heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus LB reduced the duration of diarrhea (4 RCTs, n = 224, mean difference, MD, -20.31 h, 95% CI -27.06 to -13.57). For preventive trials, the pooled results from two RCTs (n = 537) showed that heat-inactivated L. paracasei CBA L74 versus placebo reduced the risk of diarrhea (relative risk, RR, 0.51, 95% CI 0.37-0.71), pharyngitis (RR 0.31, 95% CI 0.12-0.83) and laryngitis (RR 0.44, 95% CI 0.29-0.67). There is limited evidence to recommend the use of specific postbiotics for treating pediatric diarrhea and preventing common infectious diseases among children. Further studies are necessary to determine the effects of different postbiotics.

Dietary Factors in Prevention of Pediatric Escherichia coli Infection: A Model Using Domestic Piglets

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is the major etiological agent causing acute watery diarrhea that is most frequently seen in young children in lower-income countries. The duration of diarrheal symptom may be shortened by antibiotic treatment, but ETEC is relative refractory to common antibiotics. Burgeoning evidence suggests bioactive components that naturally occur in human milk (e.g., lysozyme and oligosaccharides) and plants (e.g., nondigestible carbohydrates and phytochemicals) contain antimicrobial functions are promising preventive measures to control ETEC infection. Although the exact protective mechanisms may vary for each compound and are still not completely understood, they generally act to (1) competitively inhibit the binding of pathogenic bacteria and toxins to gut epithelium; (2) directly kill pathogens; and (3) stimulate and/or enhance host mucosal and systemic immune defense against pathogenic microorganisms. An appropriate ETEC-challenge animal model is critical to evaluate the effect and unveil the mechanism of bioactive compounds in prevention of enteric infection. Despite wide application in biomedical research, rodents do not usually manifest typical clinical signs of enteric infections. The remarkable differences in digestive physiology, immune response, and gut microbiota between rodents and human beings necessitate the use of alternative animal models. Pigs are closely related to humans in terms of genomes, physiology, anatomy of gastrointestinal tracts, digestive enzymes, components of immune system, and gut microbiota. Like human infants and young children, nursing and nursery piglets are more susceptible to ETEC infection and reproduce the clinical signs as observed in humans. Hence, the ETEC-challenge piglet represents a valuable translational model to study pathogenesis and evaluate dietary factors (e.g., milk bioactive compounds, nondigestible carbohydrates, and phytochemicals) as preventive measures for ETEC infection in pediatrics.

Pharmabiotic Manipulation of the Microbiota in Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Clinical Perspective

The advent and widespread availability of high-throughput technology has revolutionized the assessment of the communities of microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract––the gut microbiota. As our understanding of the role of the microbiota in health and human disease increases, so also do efforts to prevent and treat disease through the modulation of the microbiota. Several strategies are available to us and range from time honored approaches, such as antibiotics and probiotics, to changes in diet, the administration of prebiotics as food supplements, and fecal microbiota transplantation. Of these, diet is perhaps the most pervasive but often ignored modulator of the microbiota, and a failure to recognize its impact complicates the interpretation of many microbiota studies. The impacts of antibiotics on the microbiota are more complex than originally thought and, though antibiotics can be life-saving, their effects on commensal bacterial populations can be clinically significant. Though there have been many studies of, and even more claims made for, probiotics, the majority of available studies suffer from significant deficits in study design and execution and many claims remain to be substantiated. Though holding much promise, the study of prebiotics in human disease is still in its infancy. Possibilities other than the administration of live organisms have been identified through efforts to mine the microbiota for novel therapeutics and include: dead organisms, bacterial components, small molecules elaborated by bacteria, and even bacterial DNA. Accordingly, the term pharmabiotic has been introduced to encompass the full range of therapeutic possibilities that the microbiota offers.

Efficacy of a standardized extract of Matricariae chamomilla L., Melissa officinalis L. and tyndallized Lactobacillus acidophilus (HA122) in infantile colic: An open randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Infant colic (IC) is a prevalent physiological event of infants, which can disrupt the child's home environment. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a mixture of Matricariae chamomilla L., Melissa officinalis L. and tyndallized Lactobacillus acidophilus (HA122) compared with Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and with simethicone for the treatment of IC.

METHODS

A multicenter randomized comparative study was conducted in infants with colic, according to Rome III criteria, who were randomly assigned to receive M. chamomilla L., M. officinalis L. and tyndallized L. acidophilus (HA122) (Colimil^® Plus^® ; Milte Italia Spa, Milan, Italy) (Group A), L. reuteri DSM 17938 (Group B) and simethicone (Group C). Treatment was given to subjects for 28 days.

KEY RESULTS

One-hundred and seventy-six patients completed the study. Mean daily crying time at day 28 was significantly lower in group A (-44, 95% CI: -58 to -30, P<.001) and group B (-35, 95% CI: -49 to -20, P<.001) when compared to group C. No significant difference was observed between Group A and Group B (mean difference: -9 minutes, 95% CI -23 to +5, P=.205). At day 28, 39 of 57 (68.4%) of infants in Group C responded to the treatment compared with 57 out of 60 patients (95%) of Group A and 51 out of 59 (86.4%) of Group B (P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that administration of M. chamomilla L., M. officinalis L. and tyndallized L. acidophilus (HA122) and L. reuteri DSM 17938 are significantly more effective than simethicone in IC.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02708238.

Characterization of a Sea Buckthorn Extract and Its Effect on Free and Encapsulated Lactobacillus casei

Probiotics are bacteria that can provide health benefits to consumers and are suitable to be added to a variety of foods. In this research, viability of immobilized Lactobacillus casei in alginate with or without sea buckthorn lipid extract were studied during heat treatment and with an in vitro gastrointestinal model. The characterization of the lipid extract was also done using the UV-Vis spectrometry (UV-Vis), high-performance liquid chromatography photodiode array detection method (HPLC-PDA), gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GS-MS) and Cryo scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM). During heat treatment, the entrapped probiotic cells proved high viability (>6 CFU log/g), even at temperatures above 50 °C. The rich in monounsaturated fatty acids sea buckthorn fraction improved the in vitro digestion passage regarding the probiotic viability. The survival of the probiotic cells was 15% higher after 2 h in the acidic medium of the simulated gastric fluid in the sample where L. casei was encapsulated with the sea buckthorn extract compared with the samples where no extract was added. Thus, this approach may be effective for the future development of probiotic-supplemented foods as foods with health welfare for the consumers.

Is there a role for modified probiotics as beneficial microbes: a systematic review of the literature

Our objective was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis for the use of modified (heat-killed or sonicated) probiotics for the efficacy and safety to prevent and treat various diseases. Recent clinical research has focused on living strains of probiotics, but use in high-risk patients and potential adverse reactions including bacteremia has focused interest on alternatives to the use of live probiotics. We searched MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, Alt Health Watch, Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, from inception to February 14, 2017 for randomised controlled trials involving modified probiotic strains. The primary outcome was efficacy to prevent or treat disease and the secondary outcome was incidence of adverse events. A total of 40 trials were included (n=3,913): 14 trials (15 arms with modified probiotics and 20 control arms) for the prevention of diseases and 26 trials (29 arms with modified probiotics and 32 control arms) for treatment of various diseases. Modified microbes were compared to either placebo (44%), or the same living probiotic strain (39%) or to only standard therapies (17%). Modified microbes were not significantly more or less effective than the living probiotic in 86% of the preventive trials and 69% of the treatment trials. Modified probiotic strains were significantly more effective in 15% of the treatment trials. Incidence rates of adverse events were similar for modified and living probiotics and other control groups, but many trials did not collect adequate safety data. Although several types of modified probiotics showed significant efficacy over living strains of probiotics, firm conclusions could not be reached due to the limited number of trials using the same type of modified microbe (strain, daily dose and duration) for a specific disease indication. Further research may illuminate other strains of modified probiotics that may have potential as clinical biotherapeutics.