Abstract
A variety of activities potentially contribute to the beneficial effects of probiotic bacteria observed in humans. Among these is a direct inhibition of the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the gut. The present study characterizes head-to-head the in-vitro pathogen growth inhibition of clinically relevant infectious bacterial strains by different types of probiotics and a synbiotic. In-vitro growth inhibition of Escherichia (E.) coli EPEC, Shigella (Sh.) sonnei, Salmonella (S.) typhimurium, Klebsiella (K.) pneumoniae and Clostridioides (C.) difficile were determined. Investigated products were a yeast mono strain probiotic containing Saccharomyces (Sac.) boulardii, bacterial mono strain probiotics containing either Lactobacillus (L.) rhamnosus GG or L. reuteri DSM 17938, a multi strain probiotic containing three L. rhamnosus strains (E/N, Oxy, Pen), and a multi strain synbiotic containing nine different probiotic bacterial strains and the prebiotic fructooligosaccharides (FOS). Inhibition of pathogens was moderate by Sac. boulardii and L. rhamnosus GG, medium by L. reuteri DSM 17938 and the L. rhamnosus E/N, Oxy, Pen mixture and strong by the multi strain synbiotic. Head-to-head in-vitro pathogen growth inhibition experiments can be used to differentiate products from different categories containing probiotic microorganisms and can support the selection process of products for further clinical evaluation.
Highlights
The invention of antibiotic therapy some 100 years ago was a major step forward in medical practice, allowing medical practitioners to manage otherwise deadly infections caused by pathogenic bacteria
The present study evaluated the antagonistic activity of a range of products in head-to-head in-vitro growth inhibition experiments with a number of different bacterial pathogens, which can support the selection of products for future, more in-depth investigations
In-vitro growth of all five tested pathogenic bacteria were inhibited by all evaluated products
Summary
The invention of antibiotic therapy some 100 years ago was a major step forward in medical practice, allowing medical practitioners to manage otherwise deadly infections caused by pathogenic bacteria. In the recent past, the rapid increase of bacterial antibiotic resistance has become a pressing problem of global healthcare [1]. More sensible and less widespread use of antibiotics is necessary to counteract the increasing loss of their efficacy. While it is clinically challenging to implement, antibiotics should only be used where their usage is appropriate, and best only in confirmed cases of bacterial infections. In addition to a careful usage of antibiotics, probiotics or synbiotics should be considered as prophylactic measures, at least for patients at risk of certain bacterial infections (e.g., the elderly admitted to an intensive care unit), as complementary therapy during and after antibiotic therapy, or even as standalone therapy under certain specific circumstances for bacterial infections. Public Health 2020, 17, 3332; doi:10.3390/ijerph17093332 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
