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Journal of Microbiology and... Sep 2019Probiotics, including bacteria and yeast, are live microorganisms that have demonstrated beneficial effects on human health. Recently, probiotic bacteria are constantly... (Review)
Review
Probiotics, including bacteria and yeast, are live microorganisms that have demonstrated beneficial effects on human health. Recently, probiotic bacteria are constantly being studied and their applications are also being considered in promising adjuvant treatments for various intestinal diseases. Clinical trials and in vivo experiments have extended our current understanding of the important roles that probiotics play in human gut microbiomeassociated diseases. It has been documented through many clinical trials that probiotics could shape the intestinal microbiota leading to potential control of multiple bowel diseases and promotion of overall wellness. In this review, we focused on the relationship between probiotics and the human gut microbiota and its roles in gut microbiome-associated diseases. Here, we also discuss future directions and research areas that need further elucidation in order to better understand the roles of probiotics in the treatment of intestinal diseases.
Topics: Clinical Trials as Topic; Dysbiosis; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Homeostasis; Humans; Intestinal Diseases; Probiotics
PubMed: 31434172
DOI: 10.4014/jmb.1906.06064 -
Nature Medicine May 2019Consumption of over-the-counter probiotics for promotion of health and well-being has increased worldwide in recent years. However, although probiotic use has been... (Review)
Review
Consumption of over-the-counter probiotics for promotion of health and well-being has increased worldwide in recent years. However, although probiotic use has been greatly popularized among the general public, there are conflicting clinical results for many probiotic strains and formulations. Emerging insights from microbiome research enable an assessment of gut colonization by probiotics, strain-level activity, interactions with the indigenous microbiome, safety and impacts on the host, and allow the association of probiotics with physiological effects and potentially useful medical indications. In this Perspective, we highlight key advances, challenges and limitations in striving toward an unbiased interpretation of the large amount of data regarding over-the-counter probiotics, and propose avenues to improve the quality of evidence, transparency, public awareness and regulation of their use.
Topics: Animals; Clinical Trials as Topic; Clostridium Infections; Gastroenteritis; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Host Microbial Interactions; Humans; Immunomodulation; Infant, Newborn; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Neonatal Sepsis; Probiotics; Respiratory Tract Infections; Safety; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 31061539
DOI: 10.1038/s41591-019-0439-x -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2019Probiotics have been used to treat a variety of diseases for decades; however, what is the rationale for their application? Such a treatment was first proposed in the... (Review)
Review
Probiotics have been used to treat a variety of diseases for decades; however, what is the rationale for their application? Such a treatment was first proposed in the early nineteenth century based on observations of decreased bifidobacterial populations in children suffering from diarrhea, suggesting that oral intake of bifidobacteria could replete this subpopulation of the microbiota and improve health. Since then, studies have shown modifications in the gut or skin microbiota in the course of a variety of diseases and suggested positive effects of certain probiotics. Most studies failed to report any impact on the microbiota. The impact of probiotics as well as of bacteria colonizing food does not reside in their ability to graft in the microbiota but rather in sharing genes and metabolites, supporting challenged microbiota, and directly influencing epithelial and immune cells. Such observations argue that probiotics could be associated with conventional drugs for insulin resistance, infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases, and psychiatric disorders and could also interfere with drug metabolism. Nevertheless, in the context of a plethora of probiotic strains and associations produced in conditions that do not allow direct comparisons, it remains difficult to know whether a patient would benefit from taking a particular probiotic. In other words, although several mechanisms are observed when studying a single probiotic strain, not all individual strains are expected to share the same effects. To clarify the role of probiotics in the clinic, we explored the relation between probiotics and the gut and skin microbiota.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Bifidobacterium; Child; Diarrhea; Drug Interactions; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Probiotics; Psychiatry; Psychopathology
PubMed: 32010640
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00454 -
Nature Reviews. Gastroenterology &... Aug 2014An expert panel was convened in October 2013 by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) to discuss the field of probiotics. It is...
Expert consensus document. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic.
An expert panel was convened in October 2013 by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) to discuss the field of probiotics. It is now 13 years since the definition of probiotics and 12 years after guidelines were published for regulators, scientists and industry by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the WHO (FAO/WHO). The FAO/WHO definition of a probiotic--"live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host"--was reinforced as relevant and sufficiently accommodating for current and anticipated applications. However, inconsistencies between the FAO/WHO Expert Consultation Report and the FAO/WHO Guidelines were clarified to take into account advances in science and applications. A more precise use of the term 'probiotic' will be useful to guide clinicians and consumers in differentiating the diverse products on the market. This document represents the conclusions of the ISAPP consensus meeting on the appropriate use and scope of the term probiotic.
Topics: Humans; Prebiotics; Probiotics; Societies, Scientific; Terminology as Topic
PubMed: 24912386
DOI: 10.1038/nrgastro.2014.66 -
American Family Physician Aug 2017Probiotics contain microorganisms, most of which are bacteria similar to the beneficial bacteria that occur naturally in the human gut. Probiotics have been widely... (Review)
Review
Probiotics contain microorganisms, most of which are bacteria similar to the beneficial bacteria that occur naturally in the human gut. Probiotics have been widely studied in a variety of gastrointestinal diseases. The most-studied species include Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces. However, a lack of clear guidelines on when to use probiotics and the most effective probiotic for different gastrointestinal conditions may be confusing for family physicians and their patients. Probiotics have an important role in the maintenance of immunologic equilibrium in the gastrointestinal tract through the direct interaction with immune cells. Probiotic effectiveness can be species-, dose-, and disease-specific, and the duration of therapy depends on the clinical indication. There is high-quality evidence that probiotics are effective for acute infectious diarrhea, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, Clostridium difficile- associated diarrhea, hepatic encephalopathy, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, functional gastrointestinal disorders, and necrotizing enterocolitis. Conversely, there is evidence that probiotics are not effective for acute pancreatitis and Crohn disease. Probiotics are safe for infants, children, adults, and older patients, but caution is advised in immunologically vulnerable populations.
Topics: Diarrhea; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Humans; Probiotics
PubMed: 28762696
DOI: No ID Found -
Polish Journal of Microbiology 2018Probiotic bacteria have been used as a health-promoting factor for a very long time. Nowadays, products containing probiotic bacteria are becoming more and more popular... (Review)
Review
Probiotic bacteria have been used as a health-promoting factor for a very long time. Nowadays, products containing probiotic bacteria are becoming more and more popular on the market. The term probiotics refers to the products belonging to the following groups: probiotic drugs (medicinal products - live biotherapeutic products for human use), medical devices, probiotic foods (e.g. foods, food ingredients, dietary supplements or food for special medical purposes), directly fed microorganisms (for animal use) and designer probiotics (genetically modified probiotics). Safety assessment of bacterial strains used as probiotics should be carefully studied. Even though probiotic bacteria have the generally recognized as safe (GRAS status), there are several reports about side effects triggered by the presence of these organisms. Microorganisms used as probiotics may cause systemic infections, stimulate the immune system, disturb metabolism and participate in horizontal gene transfer.
Topics: Bacteremia; Bifidobacterium; Consumer Product Safety; Gene Transfer, Horizontal; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Lactobacillus; Probiotics
PubMed: 30451441
DOI: 10.21307/pjm-2018-044 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2022An emerging body of literature demonstrates differences in the gut microbiome (GMB) of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) compared to healthy controls (HC),... (Review)
Review
An emerging body of literature demonstrates differences in the gut microbiome (GMB) of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) compared to healthy controls (HC), as well as the potential benefits of prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic treatment. We conducted a systematic review of 24 observational studies (n = 2817), and 19 interventional trials (n = 1119). We assessed alpha diversity, beta diversity, and taxa abundance changes in patients with MDD relative to HC, as well as the effect of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics on depressive symptoms in individuals with clinical or subclinical depression. We observed no significant differences in alpha diversity but a significant difference in beta diversity between patients with MDD and HC. There were fluctuations in the abundance of specific taxa in patients with MDD relative to HC. Probiotic and synbiotic, but not prebiotic, treatment showed a modest benefit in reducing depressive symptoms in patients with MDD over four to nine weeks. The GMB profiles of patients with MDD differ significantly from HC, but further studies are needed to elucidate the benefits of prebiotic, probiotic and synbiotic treatments relative to antidepressants and over longer follow-up before these therapies are implemented into clinical practice.
Topics: Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Prebiotics; Probiotics; Synbiotics
PubMed: 35562885
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094494 -
Beneficial Microbes 2015Probiotic, a word derived from Latin, means 'for life'. A long time before the awareness of probiotic microorganisms, fermented products, such as beer, bread, wine,... (Review)
Review
Probiotic, a word derived from Latin, means 'for life'. A long time before the awareness of probiotic microorganisms, fermented products, such as beer, bread, wine, kefir, kumis and cheese had been very frequently used for nutritional and therapeutic purposes. It is widely believed that fermented products were probably found, or better to say, discovered spontaneously. The legend tells that yoghurt is most likely resulted from a fermentation process within the animal skin bags used for transportation of water and milk in regions with low humidity and high temperatures (Middle Asia and Middle East). The history of probiotics goes paralel with the evolution of human race and, thanks to the sophisticated techniques at the moment, can be traced back to the ancient times, nearly 10,000 years ago. The aims of this review are to highlight the important events for probiotic history, to correct the widely available anonymous misinformation in the literature and to remind to the readers important characters in its history.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Fermentation; History, 15th Century; History, Ancient; History, Medieval; Humans; Probiotics
PubMed: 25576593
DOI: 10.3920/BM2014.0103 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2019Nowadays, the oral use of probiotics is widespread. However, the safety profile with the use of live probiotics is still a matter of debate. Main risks include: Cases of... (Review)
Review
Nowadays, the oral use of probiotics is widespread. However, the safety profile with the use of live probiotics is still a matter of debate. Main risks include: Cases of systemic infections due to translocation, particularly in vulnerable patients and pediatric populations; acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes; or interference with gut colonization in neonates. To avoid these risks, there is an increasing interest in non-viable microorganisms or microbial cell extracts to be used as probiotics, mainly heat-killed (including tyndallized) probiotic bacteria (lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria). Heat-treated probiotic cells, cell-free supernatants, and purified key components are able to confer beneficial effects, mainly immunomodulatory effects, protection against enteropathogens, and maintenance of intestinal barrier integrity. At the clinical level, products containing tyndallized probiotic strains have had a role in gastrointestinal diseases, including bloating and infantile coli-in combination with mucosal protectors-and diarrhea. Heat-inactivated probiotics could also have a role in the management of dermatological or respiratory allergic diseases. The reviewed data indicate that heat-killed bacteria or their fractions or purified components have key probiotic effects, with advantages versus live probiotics (mainly their safety profile), positioning them as interesting strategies for the management of common prevalent conditions in a wide variety of patients´ characteristics.
Topics: Animals; Bacterial Infections; Bifidobacterium; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Hot Temperature; Humans; Immunomodulation; Lactobacillus; Microbial Viability; Probiotics
PubMed: 31126033
DOI: 10.3390/ijms20102534 -
Nutrients Jul 2023Aging skin, wrinkles, pigmentation, and dryness are problems that plague people, and researchers are working to solve them. Recent studies have shown that intestinal... (Review)
Review
Aging skin, wrinkles, pigmentation, and dryness are problems that plague people, and researchers are working to solve them. Recent studies have shown that intestinal microbiota homeostasis can influence skin health, demonstrating the existence of a gut-skin axis. Recently, improving skin health through probiotic interventions has been proposed, and micro-ecological skin care is becoming a popular concept. By regulating skin health and gut-skin axis interactions, probiotics can be used as potential management tools to suppress and improve skin diseases in multiple ways, including decreasing oxidative stress, suppressing inflammatory responses, and keeping immune effects. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the application and mechanisms of probiotic-mediated gut microbiota homeostasis in skin care and to offer a theoretical basis for the application of probiotics in skin care.
Topics: Humans; Skin; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Skin Diseases; Probiotics; Skin Aging
PubMed: 37513540
DOI: 10.3390/nu15143123