Probiotic Effects against Virus Infections: New Weapons for an Old War.

Aroa Lopez-Santamarina,Alejandra Cardelle-Cobas,José Antonio Rodriguez-Avila,Alberto Cepeda,José Manuel Miranda,Alicia Del Carmen Mondragón,Alexandre Lamas,Patricia Regal,Carlos Manuel Franco

doi:10.3390/foods10010130

Aroa Lopez-Santamarina, Alejandra Cardelle-Cobas + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10010130

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Abstract

This review aimed to gather the available literature investigating the effects of probiotics against the most common viral infections using in vitro trials in cell lines and in vivo clinical trials in both experimental animals and humans. Probiotics were employed to prevent and reduce symptoms of infections caused by common viruses, especially respiratory tract viruses, but also for viral digestive infections (such as rotavirus, coronavirus, or norovirus) and other viral infections (such as viruses that cause hepatitis, human papillomavirus, human immunodeficiency virus, and herpes simplex virus). Different probiotics have been studied to see their possible effect against the abovementioned viruses, among which different Lactobacillus species, Bifidobacterium, Clostridium, Enterococcus, and Streptococcus can be highlighted. In many cases, mixtures of various probiotic strains were used. Although the results obtained did not show similar results, in most cases, probiotic supplementation improved both barrier and biochemical immune responses, decreased susceptibility to viral infections, and enhanced the effects of concomitant vaccines. Works collected in this review show a beneficial effect of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of different viral infections. We found interesting results related to the prevention of viral infections, reduction of the duration of diseases, and decrease of symptoms.

Highlights

The mammalian intestine is a complex ecosystem, as it is a point of symbiosis between the host and approximately 1014 types of resident microorganisms, which have been acquired even before birth and continue to exist throughout life [1]
Published studies show the beneficial effects of using various probiotics to treat different diseases caused by viruses
They do not cure diseases, these probiotics are beneficial to patients because, in some cases, they improve the immune system and reduce the number of days of illness and the symptoms of the disease

Summary

Introduction

The mammalian intestine is a complex ecosystem, as it is a point of symbiosis between the host and approximately 1014 types of resident microorganisms, which have been acquired even before birth and continue to exist throughout life [1]. This community of microorganisms is often called gut microbiota (GM) [2,3]. Probiotics are live bacteria that can be given as a supplement or in a food product that, if ingested in an adequate amount, can provide benefits to the host. There is scientific evidence that consumption of probiotics can play a role in increasing defense against external pathogens, maintaining the balance of the intestinal immune system [6,7]

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