Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T15:30:51.045Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Human studies with probiotics and prebiotics: clinical implications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

J. M. Saavedra*
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA Nutrition Division, Nestlé USA, 800 North Brand Blvd., Suite 20, Glendale CA 91203, USA
A. Tschernia
Affiliation:
Division of Pediatric GI, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York NY, USA
*
*Corresponding author: Professor J. M. Saavedra, fax +1 818 549 5704, email jose.saavedra@us.nestle.com
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Probiotic agents have been shown to have significant clinical beneficial effects in the prevention and management of gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal conditions. These observations have led to work demonstrating that an important mechanism of these agents is their close interaction with the gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and suggested immunomodulatory effects on systemic immune response. Studies on the possibility that prebiotic agents might directly or indirectly induce similar immunomodulation have only recently begun. The preliminary findings of several recent human clinical trials reviewed in this article indicate that prebiotics may indeed prove to be a clinically beneficial dietary supplement, in the context of novel nutritional strategies for the management of gastrointestinal and systemic conditions.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2002

References

Ahmad, A, Widjala, L, Firmansyah, A, Gliwitzki, M & Suhardjo, H (2000) Effect of a combined probiotic, prebiotic and micronutrient supplementation in reducing duration of acute infantile diarrhoea. Journal of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 31, A984.Google Scholar
Balmer, SE & Wharton, BA (1989) Diet and faecal flora in the newborn: breast milk and infant formula. Archives of Diseases in Childhood 64, 16721677.Google Scholar
Biller, JA, Katz, AJ, Flores, AF, Buie, TM & Gorbach, SL (1995) Treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile colitis with Lactobacillus GG. Journal of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 21, 224226.Google Scholar
Bouhnik, Y, Flourie, B, D'Agay-Abensour, L, Pochart, P, Gramet, G, Durand, M & Rambaud, JC (1997) Administration of transgalacto-oligosaccharides increases fecal bifidobacteria and modifies colonic fermentation metabolism in healthy humans. Journal of Nutrition 127, 444448.Google Scholar
Chiang, BL, Sheih, YH, Wang, LH, Liao, CK & Gill, HS (2000) Enhancing immunity by dietary consumption of a probiotic lactic acid bacterium (Bifidobacterium lactis HN019): optimization and definition of cellular immune responses. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 54, 849855.Google Scholar
De Simone, C, Ciardi, A, Grassi, A, Lambert, GS, Tzantzoglou, S, Trinchieri, V, Moretti, S & Jirillo, E (1992) Effect of Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus on gut mucosa and peripheral blood B lymphocytes. Immunopharmacology Immunotoxicology 14, 331340.Google Scholar
Drasar, B & Roberts, A (2001) Control of the large bowel microflora. In Human Microbial Ecology, pp. 87111 [Hill, M and Marsh, P, editors]. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.Google Scholar
Duffy, LC, Zielezny, MA, Riepenhoff-Talty, M, Dryja, D, Sayahtaheri-Altaie, S, Griffiths, E, Ruffin, D, Barrett, H, Rossman, J & Ogra, PL (1994) Effectiveness of Bifidobacterium bifidum in mediating the clinical course of murine rotavirus diarrhea. Pediatric Research 35, 690695.Google Scholar
Duffy, LC, Zielezny, MA, Riepenhoff-Talty, M, Dryja, D, Sayahtaheri-Altaie, S, Griffiths, E, Ruffin, D, Barrett, H, Rossman, J & Ogra, PL (1993) Effectiveness of Bifidobacterium bifidum in experimentally induced MRV infection: dietary implications in formulas for newborns. Endocrine Regulation 27, 223229.Google Scholar
Elmer, GW, Surawicz, CM & McFarland, LV (1996) Biotherapeutic agents. A neglected modality for the treatment and prevention of selected intestinal and vaginal infections. Journal of American Medical Association 275, 870876.Google Scholar
Firmansyah, A, Pramita, G, Carrie Fassler, A, Haschke, F & Link-Amster, H (2001) Improved humoral immune response to measles vaccine in infants receiving infant cereal with fructo-oligosaccharides. Journal of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 31, A521.Google Scholar
Fisberg, M, Maulen, I, Vasquez, E, Garcia, J, Comer, G & Alarcon, P (2000) Effect of oral supplementation with and without synbiotics on catch-up growth in preschool children. Journal of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 31, A987.Google Scholar
Fuller, R (1991) Probiotics in human medicine. Gut 32, 439442.Google Scholar
Gibson, GR (1999) Dietary modulation of the human gut microflora using the prebiotics oligofructose and inulin. Journal of Nutrition 129, suppl, 1438S1441S.Google Scholar
Gibson, GR, Beatty, ER, Wang, X & Cummings, JH (1995) Selective stimulation of bifidobacteria in the human colon by oligofructose and inulin. Gastroenterology 108, 975982.Google Scholar
Gorbach, SL, Chang, TW & Goldin, B (1987) Successful treatment of relapsing Clostridium difficile colitis with Lactobacillus GG. Lancet 2, 8574, 1519.Google Scholar
Guarino, A, Canani, RB, Spagnuolo, MI, Albano, F & Di Benedetto, L (1997) Oral bacterial therapy reduces the duration of symptoms and of viral excretion in children with mild diarrhea. Journal of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 25, 516519.Google Scholar
Hanson, L & Yolken, R (1999) Probiotics, other nutritional factors and intestinal microflora. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven Publishers.Google Scholar
Hilton, E, Kolakowski, P, Singer, C & Smith, M (1997) Efficacy of Lactobacillus GG as a diarrheal preventive in travelers. Journal of Travel Medicine 4, 4143.Google Scholar
Isolauri, E, Joensuu, J, Suomalainen, H, Luomala, M & Vesikari, T (1995) Improved immunogenicity of oral D × RRV reassortant rotavirus vaccine by Lactobacillus casei GG. Vaccine 13, 310312.Google Scholar
Kaila, M, Isolauri, E, Soppi, E, Virtanen, E, Laine, S & Arvilommi, H (1992) Enhancement of the circulating antibody secreting cell response in human diarrhea by a human Lactobacillus strain. Pediatric Research 32, 141144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kitazawa, H, Tomioka, Y, Matsumura, K, Aso, H, Mizugaki, M, Itoh, T & Yamaguchi, T (1994) Expression of mRNA encoding IFN alpha in macrophages stimulated with Lactobacillus gasseri. FEMS Microbiology Letters 120, 315321.Google Scholar
Link-Amster, H, Rochat, F, Saudan, KY, Mignot, O & Aeschlimann, JM (1994) Modulation of a specific humoral immune response and changes in intestinal flora mediated through fermented milk intake. FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology 10, 5563.Google Scholar
Mack, DR, Michail, S, Wei, S, McDougall, L & Hollingsworth, MA (1999) Probiotics inhibit enteropathogenic E coli adherence in vitro by inducing intestinal mucin gene expression. American Journal of Physiology 276, G941G950.Google Scholar
Majamaa, H & Isolauri, E (1997) Probiotics: a novel approach in the management of food allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 99, 179185.Google Scholar
Majamaa, H, Isolauri, E, Saxelin, M & Vesikari, T (1995) Lactic acid bacteria in the treatment of acute rotavirus gastroenteritis. Journal of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 20, 333338.Google Scholar
Marteau, P & Cellier, C (1999) Immunological effects of biotherapeutic agents. In Biotherapeutic Agents and Infectious Diseases, pp. 121144 [Elmer, GW, McFarland, LV and Surawicz, CM, editors]. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McVeagh, P & Miller, JB (1997) Human milk oligosaccharides: only the breast. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health 33, 281286.Google Scholar
Naidu, A, Bidlack, W & Clemens, R (1999) Probiotic spectra of lactic acid bacteria. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 39, 13126.Google Scholar
Oberhelman, RA, Gilman, RH, Sheen, P, Taylor, DN, Black, RE, Cabrera, L, Lescano, AG, Meza, R & Madico, G (1999) A placebo-controlled trial of Lactobacillus GG to prevent diarrhea in undernourished Peruvian children. Journal of Paediatrics 134, 1520.Google Scholar
Perdigon, G, Rachid, M, De Budeguer, MV & Valdez, JC (1994) Effect of yogurt feeding on the small and large intestine associated lymphoid cells in mice. Journal of Dairy Research 61, 553562.Google Scholar
Pessi, T, Sutas, Y, Hurme, M & Isolauri, E (2000) Interleukin-10 generation in atopic children following oral Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. Clinical and Experimental Allergy 30, 18041808.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rao, AV (1999) Dose-response effects of inulin and oligofructose on intestinal bifidogenesis effects. Journal of Nutrition 129, suppl, 1442S1445S.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberfroid, MB (1996) Functional effects of food components and the gastrointestinal system: chicory fructo-oligosaccharides. Nutrition Reviews 54, S38S42.Google Scholar
Saavedra, JM & Abi-Hanna, A (1999) Clinical studies of probiotic agents. In Probiotics, Other Nutritional Factors and Intestinal Microflora, pp. 271286 [Hanson, L and Yolken, RH, editors]. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven.Google Scholar
Saavedra, JM, Bauman, NA, Oung, I, Perman, JA & Yolken, RH (1994) Feeding of Bifidobacterium bifidum and Streptococcus thermophilus to infants in hospital for prevention of diarrhoea and shedding of rotavirus. Lancet 344, 8929, 10461049.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saavedra, JM, Tschernia, A, Moore, N, Abi-Hanna, A, Coletta, F, Emenhiser, C & Yolken, R (1999 b) Gastrointestinal function in infants consuming a weaning food supplemented with oligofructose a prebiotic. Journal of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 29, A95.Google Scholar
Shermak, MA, Saavedra, JM, Jackson, TL, Huang, SS, Bayless, TM & Perman, JA (1995) Effect of yogurt on symptoms and kinetics of hydrogen production in lactose-malabsorbing children. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 62, 10031006.Google Scholar
Solis, PB & Lemonnier, D (1991) Induction of 2′–5′ A synthetase activity and interferon in humans by bacteria used in dairy products. European Cytokine Network 2, 137140.Google Scholar
Tschernia, A, Moore, N, Abi-Hanna, A, Yolken, RH, Coletta, F, Emenhiser, C & Saavedra, JM (1999) Effects of long-term consumption of a weaning food supplemented with oligofructose, a prebiotic, on general infant health status. Journal of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 29, A58.Google Scholar
Vanderhoof, JA, Whitney, DB, Antonson, DL, Hanner, TL, Lupo, JV & Young, RJ (1999) Lactobacillus GG in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children. Journal of Paediatrics 135, 564568.Google Scholar
Yasui, H, Kiyoshima, J & Ushijima, H (1995) Passive protection against rotavirus-induced diarrhea of mouse pups born to and nursed by dams fed Bifidobacterium breve YIT4064. Journal of Infectious Disease 172, 403409.Google Scholar
Yasui, H, Nagaoka, N & Hayakawa, K (1994) Augmentation of anti-influenza virus hemagglutinin antibody production by Peyer's patch cells with Bifidobacterium breve YIT4064. Clinical Diagnosis Laboratory Immunology 1, 244246.Google Scholar
Yasui, H & Ohwaki, M (1991) Enhancement of immune response in Peyer's patch cells cultured with Bifidobacterium breve. Journal of Dairy Science 74, 11871195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yoshioka, H, Iseki, K & Fujita, K (1983) Development and differences of intestinal flora in the neonatal period in breast-fed and bottle-fed infants. Pediatrics 72, 317321.Google Scholar