Prophylactic Effect of Lactobacillus pentosus strain S-PT84 on Candida Infection and Gastric Inflammation in a Murine Gastrointestinal Candidiasis Model [Errata]

Implication of Paraprobiotics in Age-Associated Gut Dysbiosis and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, are major age-related concerns in elderly people. Since no drug fully addresses the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, advance treatment strategies are urgently needed. Several studies have noted the senescence of immune system and the perturbation of gut microbiota in the aged population. In recent years, the role of gut microbiota has been increasingly studied in the manifestation of age-related CNS disorders. In this context, prebiotics, probiotics, and paraprobiotics are reported to improve the behavioural and neurobiological abnormalities in elderly patients. As live microbiota, prescribed in the form of probiotics, shows some adverse effects like sepsis, translocation, and horizontal gene transfer, paraprobiotics could be a possible alternative strategy in designing microbiome-based therapeutics. This review describes the health-beneficial effects of paraprobiotics in age-associated neurodegenerative diseases.

Anticandidal Activities by Lactobacillus Species: An Update on Mechanisms of Action

Lactobacilli are among the most studied bacteria in the microbiome of the orodigestive and genitourinary tracts. As probiotics, lactobacilli may provide various benefits to the host. These benefits include regulating the composition of the resident microbiota, preventing - or even potentially reverting- a dysbiotic state. Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen that can influence and be influenced by other members of the mucosal microbiota and, under immune-compromising conditions, can cause disease. Lactobacillus and Candida species can colonize the same mucosal sites; however, certain Lactobacillus species display antifungal activities that can contribute to low Candida burdens and prevent fungal infection. Lactobacilli can produce metabolites with direct anticandidal function or enhance the host defense mechanisms against fungi. Most of the Lactobacillus spp. anticandidal mechanisms of action remain underexplored. This work aims to comprehensively review and provide an update on the current knowledge regarding these anticandidal mechanisms.

Application of probiotics in candidiasis management

Candidiasis (e.g., oral, gastrointestinal, vaginal, urinary tract, systemic) is a worldwide growing problem, since antifungal resistance and immunosuppression states are rising. To address this problem, very few drugs are available for the treatment of Candida spp. infections. Therefore, novel therapeutic strategies are urgently required. Probiotics have been proposed for the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections due to their safety record and efficacy, however, little is still known about their potential role regarding fungal infections. The purpose of this review is to present an updated summary of the evidence of the antifungal effects of probiotics along with a discussion of their potential use as an alternative/complementary therapy against Candida spp. infections. Thus, we performed a literature search using appropriate keywords ("Probiotic + Candida", "Candidiasis treatment", and "Probiotic + candidiasis") to retrieve relevant studies (both preclinical and clinical) with special emphasis on the works published in the last 5 years. An increasing amount of evidence has shown the potential usefulness of probiotics in the management of oral and vulvovaginal candidiasis in recent years. Among other results, we found that, as for bacterial infections, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces are the most studied and effective genus for this purpose. However, in other areas, particularly in skincandidiaisis, studies are low or lacking. Thus, further investigation is necessary including in vitro and in vivo studies to establish the usefulness of probiotics in the management of candidiasis.

Immuno-modulation by heat-killed Lacticaseibacillus paracasei MCC1849 and its application to food products

Probiotics are microorganisms that confer health benefits to host. Well-known examples include Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species. In recent years, interest in promoting our health with probiotics has grown as life expectancy and health awareness has increased. However, some concerns for safety and stability exist for these live organisms. Thus, “postbiotics” and “paraprobiotics,” non-viable heat-killed microbial cells or cell fractions that retain health benefits, are increasingly favored. Unfortunately, little information on clinical efficacy and mechanisms of action is available compared with many available probiotics. Lacticaseibacillus (previous name Lactobacillus) paracasei MCC1849 is a commonly used lactic acid bacterial strain in Japan that displays immuno-modulatory effects in humans in non-viable heat-killed form. This review discusses health benefits of heat-killed L. paracasei MCC1849 immune modulation and offers a theoretical basis for its mechanisms of action. We also discuss the feasibility of using heat-killed probiotics for application in food products.

Supplementation of Lactobacillus plantarum or Macleaya cordata Extract Alleviates Oxidative Damage Induced by Weaning in the Lower Gut of Young Goats

Weaning usually leads to stress in livestock, which has a negative impact on their growth and development. Research on oxidative stress and inflammation induced by weaning has not been reported in goats. Here, we focused on oxidative stress profile and inflammation status of the lower gut (jejunum, ileum, and colon) of goats. First, we illustrated the status of antioxidant activity and inflammation in the intestine of young goats on pre-(2 weeks postnatal, 2 wk^pn) or post-(11 wk^pn, weaning at day 45 postnatal)-weaned period of young goats. Malondialdehyde (MDA) was higher (p < 0.0001) in jejunum and ileum of the young goats in 11 wk^pn than that in 2 wk^pn, whereas superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was lower (p = 0.012) in the lower gut of the young goats with 11 wk^pn than that in 2 wk^pn. Furthermore, we intended to explore the protective influence of a probiotic additive (Lactobacillus plantarum (LAC) P-8, 10 g/d) and a prebiotic additive (Sangrovit^®, Macleaya cordata (MAC) extract 3.75% w/w premix, 0.3 g/d) on intestinal oxidative stress and inflammation status of early-weaned young goats (average weights of 5.63 ± 0.30 kg, weaned on d 45 postnatal). We observed that LAC reduced MDA in jejunum and ileum (p < 0.0001), increased SOD activity in ileum (p < 0.01), and increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in jejunum (p < 0.05). Similarly, MAC reduced MDA contents (p < 0.0001), increased SOD activities (p < 0.01) in both of ileum and jejunum, and increased GSH-Px activity (p < 0.05) in jejunum. However, there were no differences in feed intake, average daily gain, inflammation parameters (interleukin 2 and interleukin 6), and colon oxidative stress profile (MDA, SOD, or GSH-Px) among treatments. These results provide evidence that weaning induces oxidative damage in the lower gut of young goats, and the oxidative damage in the small intestine can be reduced by adding the addition of LAC or MAC in diets depending on the region of the lower gut.