Abstract
The human intestinal microbiota, establishing a symbiotic relationship with the host, plays a significant role for human health. It is also well known that a disease status is frequently characterized by a dysbiotic condition of the gut microbiota. A probiotic treatment can represent an alternative therapy for enteric disorders and human pathologies not apparently linked to the gastrointestinal tract. Among bifidobacteria, strains of the species Bifidobacterium breve are widely used in paediatrics. B. breve is the dominant species in the gut of breast-fed infants and it has also been isolated from human milk. It has antimicrobial activity against human pathogens, it does not possess transmissible antibiotic resistance traits, it is not cytotoxic and it has immuno-stimulating abilities. This review describes the applications of B. breve strains mainly for the prevention/treatment of paediatric pathologies. The target pathologies range from widespread gut diseases, including diarrhoea and infant colics, to celiac disease, obesity, allergic and neurological disorders. Moreover, B. breve strains are used for the prevention of side infections in preterm newborns and during antibiotic treatments or chemotherapy. With this documentation, we hope to increase knowledge on this species to boost the interest in the emerging discipline known as “therapeutic microbiology”.
Highlights
The use of microorganisms to treat or prevent targeted diseases was conceived at the end of the last millennium
Patients affected from this pathology are subjected to an intestinal bacteria overgrowth due to their dilated intestine [166]; this condition can lead to a bacteria translocation in other districts inducing catheter sepsis, compromised carbohydrates fermentation resulting in high level of lactate, with consequent acidosis [167] and a possible incontrollable growth of intestinal pathogens
This review has outlined the large number of cases in which B. breve strains, mainly as single strains and in combination with other Bifidobacterium species or Lactobacillus strains, are used for therapeutic and prevention purposes and/or to prevent further complications of the disease in the paediatric sector
Summary
The use of microorganisms to treat or prevent targeted diseases was conceived at the end of the last millennium. This concept has rapidly evolved giving rise to a new branch of applied microbiology known as “therapeutic microbiology” [1]. Nutrients 2018, 10, 1723 review is to show the various applications of B. breve for preventing and treating paediatric diseases starting from in vitro and mice model assessment of efficacy to the clinical use. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first collection of works focused on the application in paediatrics of strains belonging to the B. breve species and is aimed to shed light on the role of this Bifidobacterium species in the scenario of “therapeutic microbiology.”. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first collection of works focused on the application in paediatrics of strains belonging to the B. breve species and is aimed to shed light on the role of this Bifidobacterium species in the scenario of “therapeutic microbiology.” this paper explores the effectiveness of B. breve used both as a single strain and combined with other microorganisms with a final short outcome of its application in adulthood
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