The Possible Link Between Manufacturing and Probiotic Efficacy; a Molecular Point of View on Bifidobacterium

Role of Probiotics in the Treatment and Prevention of Common Gastrointestinal Conditions in Children

Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer health benefits to the host when administered in adequate amounts. Although recommendations for probiotic use should be strain-specific, many systematic reviews, including recommendations from different societies, recommend probiotic use in general, providing no relevant information for healthcare professionals regarding which probiotic to recommend for which clinical indication, at what dose, and for how long. This narrative review aimed to present the available evidence on the use of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of common gastrointestinal diseases in children, considering the strain and dose used. Furthermore, this study summarizes the evidence on the possible side effects and quality of products containing probiotics.

The Ability of Streptococcus thermophilus BT01 to Modulate Urease Activity in Healthy Subjects' Fecal Samples Depends on the Biomass Production Process

SCOPE

This study evaluates how manufacturing conditions of probiotic biomass production, using two different cryoprotectants, Cryo-A and Cryo-B, can affect Streptococcus thermophilus BT01 in vivo gastrointestinal tract survival and its ability to modulate the level of urease activity in fecal samples of healthy subjects.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A randomized controlled cross-over study is carried out on 20 adult healthy subjects to evaluate total and viable loads, persistence of S. thermophilus BT01, and urease activity in fecal samples. Strain-specific quantification by using developed culture-based method and molecular qPCR tool allows to quantify viable S. thermophilus BT01 strain in 90% of the subjects. The quantification of both total DNA and recovered viable S. thermophilus BT01 in fecal samples does not reveal significant differences between Cryo-A or Cryo-B treated biomass. However, the administration of S. thermophilus BT01 produced with Cryo-A results in a decreased urease activity in fecal samples compared to Cryo-B protected cells.

CONCLUSION

This study i) highlights how the manufacturing conditions can play a role in influencing the probiotic functionality in vivo and ii) represents the first evidence that links S. thermophilus to a specific probiotic mechanism, the reduction of urease activity in fecal samples.

Extremely small and incredibly close: Gut microbes as modulators of inflammation and targets for therapeutic intervention

Chronic inflammation is a hallmark for a variety of disorders and is at least partially responsible for disease progression and poor patient health. In recent years, the microbiota inhabiting the human gut has been associated with not only intestinal inflammatory diseases but also those that affect the brain, liver, lungs, and joints. Despite a strong correlation between specific microbial signatures and inflammation, whether or not these microbes are disease markers or disease drivers is still a matter of debate. In this review, we discuss what is known about the molecular mechanisms by which the gut microbiota can modulate inflammation, both in the intestine and beyond. We identify the current gaps in our knowledge of biological mechanisms, discuss how these gaps have likely contributed to the uncertain outcome of fecal microbiota transplantation and probiotic clinical trials, and suggest how both mechanistic insight and -omics-based approaches can better inform study design and therapeutic intervention.

In vitro assessment of the probiotic properties of an industrial preparation containing Lacticaseibacillus paracasei in the context of athlete health

Intense physical activity is often associated with undesirable physiological changes, including increased inflammation, transient immunodepression, increased susceptibility to infections, altered intestinal barrier integrity, and increased oxidative stress. Several trials suggested that probiotics supplementation may have beneficial effects on sport-associated gastro-intestinal and immune disorders. Recently, in a placebo-controlled human trial, the AminoAlta™ probiotic formulation (AApf) was demonstrated to increase the absorption of amino acids from pea protein, suggesting that the administration of AApf could overcome the compositional limitations of plant proteins. In this study, human cell line models were used to assess in vitro the potential capacity of AApf to protect from the physiological damages that an intense physical activity may cause. The obtained results revealed that the bacteria in the AApf have the ability to adhere to differentiated Caco-2 epithelial cell layer. In addition, the AApf was shown to reduce the activation of NF-κB in Caco-2 cells under inflammatory stimulation. Notably, this anti-inflammatory activity was enhanced in the presence of partially hydrolyzed plant proteins. The AApf also triggered the expression of cytokines by the THP-1 macrophage model in a dose-dependent manner. In particular, the expression of cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α was higher than that of the regulatory cytokine IL-10, resembling a cytokine profile characteristic of M1 phenotype, which typically intervene in counteracting bacterial and viral infections. Finally, AApf was shown to reduce transepithelial permeability and increase superoxide dismutase activity in the Caco-2 cell model. In conclusion, this study suggests that the AApf may potentially provide a spectrum of benefits useful to dampen the gastro-intestinal and immune detrimental consequences of an intense physical activity.

Assessment of Physicochemical and Rheological Properties of Xylo-Oligosaccharides and Glucose-Enriched Doughs Fermented with BB-12

Simple Summary

Xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) are considered indigestible fibers that could support the growth of potentially beneficial gut microbes, thus classified as “prebiotics”. Prebiotics are “a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit” as defined by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics. The current work aimed to study the effect of XOS and glucose addition on wheat flour sourdough fermented with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BB-12) strain in terms of organic acid production and on the rheological properties of the doughs. The effect of XOS addition increased the production of organic acids, and positively influenced the rheological properties of the dough. Additionally, after frozen storage, there were no significant viscoelastic changes in the dough structure, which indicates that xylo-oligosaccharides improved the water retention capability of the dough. Through fermentation carbohydrates like, glucose, xylose, maltose, and XOS were consumed, and a high quantity of lactic and acetic acid were produced, organic acids with roles in the flavor generation and sensorial properties of the final product. This study showed the potential use of XOS as food ingredient in sourdoughs for bakery products manufacturing with improved quality and rheological properties.

Abstract

Xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) are considered non-digestible fibers produced mainly from agricultural biomass and are classified as “emerging prebiotic” compounds. Since XOS were shown to promote the growth of bifidobacteria in the gut with potential effects on one’s health, scientists used them as food ingredients. For example, the addition of XOS in bakery products could improve their physicochemical characteristics. The current work aimed to investigate the effect of XOS and glucose addition on wheat flour sourdough fermented with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BB-12) strain in terms of organic acid production. The effect on viscoelastic changes during frozen storage and after the thawing process was also studied. The results showed that the viability of BB-12 increased slightly with the increase in XOS and glucose concentrations, which determined dough acidification due to accumulation of organic acids, that positively influenced the dough’s rheological properties such as a higher elasticity before and after frozen storage. With 10% XOS-addition, the acetic acid quantity reached 0.87 ± 0.03 mg/L, and the highest lactic acid concentration was found in the 10% XOS-enriched doughs, the glucose-enriched doughs and in the control sample (100% wheat dough). The quantity of glucose, maltose, XOS, and xylose decreased until the end of fermentation.