Abstract
Probiotic bacteria are known to harbor intrinsic and mobile genetic elements that confer resistance to a wide variety of antibiotics. Their high amounts in dietary supplements can establish a reservoir of antibiotic resistant genes in the human gut. These resistant genes can be transferred to pathogens that share the same intestinal habitat thus resulting in serious clinical ramifications. While antibiotic resistance of probiotic bacteria from food, human and animal sources have been well-documented, the resistant profiles of probiotics from dietary supplements have only been recently studied. These products are consumed with increasing regularity due to their health claims that include the improvement of intestinal health and immune response as well as prevention of acute and antibiotic-associated diarrhea and cancer; but, a comprehensive risk assessment on the spread of resistant genes to human health is lacking. Here, we highlight recent reports of antibiotic resistance of probiotic bacteria isolated from dietary supplements, and propose complementary strategies that can shed light on the risks of consuming such products in the context of a global widespread of antibiotic resistance. In concomitant with a broader screening of antibiotic resistance in probiotic supplements is the use of computational simulations, live imaging and functional genomics to harvest knowledge on the evolutionary behavior, adaptations and dynamics of probiotics studied in conditions that best represent the human gut including in the presence of antibiotics. The underlying goal is to enable the health benefits of probiotics to be exploited in a responsible manner and with minimal risk to human health.
Highlights
Probiotics are “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host” (Kaur et al, 2002)
Research has since showed that probiotics can confer a wide range of health benefits especially those directly related to the human gut (Nagpal et al, 2012; Kechagia et al, 2013)
Of interest to this article is the probiotic bacteria that are present in commercial dietary supplements
Summary
Probiotics are “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host” (Kaur et al, 2002). Research has since showed that probiotics can confer a wide range of health benefits especially those directly related to the human gut (Nagpal et al, 2012; Kechagia et al, 2013). Probiotics can regulate gut microbiota (Thomas et al, 2014), improve immune system (Isolauri et al, 2001) and the bioavailability of nutrients (Scholz-Ahrens et al, 2007), reduce symptoms of lactose intolerance (Savaiano et al, 2013) as well as prevent and/or treat gastrointestinal infections (Parvez et al, 2006; Ringel et al, 2012). Other notable health claims include the prevention of mammary cancer (Lakritz et al, 2014), the reduction of viral-associated pulmonary damage (Zelaya et al, 2014) and the decrease in cholesterol level that reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases (Ejtahed et al, 2011)
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