Different Strains Of Probiotics Research Articles

Evidence on the benefits of probiotics for preterm infants.

This article reviews the evidence for the use of different strains of probiotics in the prevention of prevalent pathologies in premature neonates. A systematic review was conducted of the use of probiotics in neonates with less than 37 weeks of gestational age, based on a search for systematic reviews and observational and experimental studies performed during the period from January 2014 to February 2021. For this purpose, the PubMed, MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases were consulted. The aim of this article was to review the existing data on the relationship between the administration of probiotics (with different strains and doses) and the risk of necrotising enterocolitis, mortality, late sepsis and other disease parameters in premature infants. The literature search obtained 240 articles, of which we selected 16, representing a total sample of over 200,000 premature infants. Analysis of the data obtained reveals statistical evidence that the combined administration of probiotics (especially of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains) reduces the incidence of grade II or higher necrotising enterocolitis, all-cause mortality, late sepsis, length of hospital stay and time until complete enteral nutrition is achieved. However, no benefits were apparent with respect to alleviating bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity or intraventricular haemorrhage. Further research is needed to determine the most appropriate strains, doses and treatment duration for preterm infants to achieve the health benefits identified.

Probiotics as a therapeutic approach in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a growing concern worldwide. In recent decades, the incidence of CRC has increased, and this has been attributed to changes in lifestyle. The lack of physical activity, smoking habits, and a diet high in red meat and fat and low in fiber are important aspects of these deleterious changes in lifestyle. The increase in the incidence of CRC has impelled researchers to investigate methods for preventing and treating CRC with greater efficacy and fewer complications. Probiotics are an attractive and potentially promising therapeutic approach. They have been evaluated by a large number of preclinical and clinical studies in recent years, and it has been found that they can play a role in the prevention, treatment, and management of complications of CRC. This review provides a concise summary of the mechanisms of action of probiotics. Furthermore, it focuses on the results of clinical and preclinical studies that evaluated probiotics' effects on CRC management. It also discusses the effects of different strains of probiotics and their combination in CRC treatment.

Novel approach for the inhibition of Helicobacter pylori contamination in yogurt using selected probiotics combined with eugenol and cinnamaldehyde nanoemulsions.

Different strains of probiotics were screened in vitro to select the one with the highest anti-H. pylori activity. Three nanoemulsions of eugenol, cinnamaldehyde and their mixture were fabricated and tested also in vitro against the same pathogen. The selected probiotic strains, the nanoemulsion mixture and their combination were imbedded in a lab-manufactured yogurt which is deliberately contaminated with 6.0 log cfu/g H. pylori during manufacture. The inhibitory activity of all treatments on the growth of H. pylori and the other microorganisms in yogurt was evaluated during 21days. Combining the selected probiotic strains with the nanoemulsion mixture in the contaminated yogurt reduced the count of H. pylori by 3.9 log cycle. The nanoemulsion showed lower inhibitory effect against the other microorganisms like probiotics, starter culture and total bacterial count in the tested yogurt, where their enumeration did not fall below 106 cfu/g at the end of yogurt storage period.

Monitoring mRNA Expression Patterns in Macrophages in Response to Two Different Strains of Probiotics.

As an initial study to elucidate the molecular mechanism of how probiotics modulate macrophage activity, we monitored mRNA expression patterns in peritoneal macrophages (PMs) treated with two different strains of probiotics. After treatment with either Weissella cibaria WIKIM28 or Latilactobacillus sakei WIKIM50, total RNAs from PMs were isolated and subjected into gene chip analyses. As controls, mRNAs from vehicle (phosphate-buffered saline, PBS)-treated PMs were also subjected to gene chip analysis. Compared to vehicle (PBS)-treated PMs, WIKIM28-treated and WIKIM50-treated PMs exhibited a total of 889 and 432 differentially expressed genes with expression differences of at least 4 folds, respectively. Compared to WIKIM28-treated PMs, WIKIM50-treated PMs showed 25 up-regulated genes and 21 down-regulated genes with expression differences of more than 2 folds. Interestingly, mRNA transcripts of M2 macrophage polarization marker such as anxa1, mafb, and sepp1 were increased in WIKIM50-treated PMs comparing to those in WIKIM28-treated PMs. Reversely, mRNA transcripts of M1 macrophage polarization marker such as hdac9, ptgs2, and socs3 were decreased in WIKIM50-treated PMs comparing to those in WIKIM28-treated PMs. In agreement with these observations, mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1α were significantly reduced in WIKIM50-treated macrophages compared to those in WIKIM28-treated macrophages. These results may indicate that probiotics can be classified as two different types depending on their ability to convert macrophages into M1 or M2 polarization.

Efficacy and safety of probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials using ROME IV criteria

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder which affects a great number of patients globally. Clinical trials and meta-analyses have evaluated different therapies for IBS. Some of them have shown that probiotics play a significant role in the management of IBS-patients. Nevertheless, results are controversial, and the efficacy of the administration of probiotics remains to be confirmed, especially in regard to which type of probiotic-strains are beneficial. The aim of the present meta-analysis is to assess the efficacy and safety of the administration of probiotics to IBS-patients with a diagnosis based on Rome IV criteria, which is performed for the first time. Electronic databases (Pubmed, Scopus and Cochrane) were searched until 26.01.2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) studying the administration of probiotics in adult IBS-patients, who were categorized according to the Rome IV criteria. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool (ROB) 2.0. Weighted and standardized mean difference with the 95% confidence intervals were used for the synthesis of the results. Primary outcomes were the decrease of IBS-Symptom Severity Score (IBS-SSS) and decrease of abdominal pain. The secondary outcomes were the improvement in quality of life (QoL) and the decrease of bloating. Lastly, the adverse effects of probiotics were evaluated. The protocol of the study has been registered at protocols.io (DOI dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.14egn218yg5d/v1). Six double-blind (N=970) placebo-control RCTs fulfilled the inclusion criteria and overall, nine different strains of probiotics were examined. No significant reduction in IBS-SSS (WMD-43.2, 95% CI-87.5 to 1.0, I2=82.9%) was demonstrated, whereas a significant decrease regarding abdominal pain (SMD-0.94, 95% CI-1.53 to-0.35, I2=92,2) was shown. Furthermore, no correlation between improvement of QoL and the use of probiotics (SMD-0.64, 95% CI-1.27 to 0.00, I2= 93,9%) was shown. However, probiotics were associated with a significant reduction in bloating (SMD-0.28, 95% CI-0.47 to-0.09, I2= 36,0%). A qualitative synthesis was conducted about adverse events and showed that the use of probiotics' is safe without severe adverse events. The administration of probiotics to IBS-patients demonstrated a positive effect on pain and bloating, but due to significant heterogeneity and confounding factors, that were not examined in the included studies, a definitive statement cannot be made. Moreover, probiotics did not lead to an improvement in other parameters. There is a need for larger RCTs in IBS-patients diagnosed according to Rome IV (not III) criteria and especially it is essential to be conducted RCTs which examine the administration of specific strains and have similar methodological characteristics.

Removing tannins and debittering brewer’s spent yeasts by Tween 80

Introduction: Yeast extract from brewer's spent yeast cells is a promising nutrition source for many applications in the food industry and biomass production. However, because of the impurities that cause the bitter and astringent flavor attributed to hop resins during fermentation, brewer's spent yeasts in the industry have not been widely used. Contaminants have been withdrawn by using a variety of techniques. However, most reported methods have focused on removing iso-alpha acid rather than tannin, which has anti-digestive and antimicrobial properties. This study focuses on removing tannins and evaluating their impact on reusing brewer's spent yeast in biomass production. Methods: In this work, Tween 80 was employed for the removal of tannins and other bitter substances from brewer’s spent yeasts. In addition to biochemical approaches, the efficiency of cultivating probiotics with autolysates from yeasts cleaned by various buffers is used to evaluate the effectiveness of eliminating tannins and bitter compounds. Results: In tannin removal, the outstanding efficiency of Tween 80 was four times higher than that of water and hypotonic 0.5% NaCl solution. The debittering efficiency increases from 77% to 83.6% by using Tween 80. Therefore, the cell density of Lactobacillus fermentum 4C cultures with the autolysate from Tween 80-treated spent yeast cells increased by 16.5% and 10.2% compared to that of cultures washed with distilled water or 0.5% NaCl, respectively. The autolysate of Tween 80-treated yeast cells is rich in protein and α-amino nitrogen. It shows advantages in culturing different strains of probiotics. Conclusions: By skipping the first stage of biomass creation, the reuse of spent yeasts in the production of yeast extracts will not only address environmental issues but also have a positive economic impact.

Chemopreventive role of probiotics against cancer: a comprehensive mechanistic review.

Probiotics use different mechanisms such as intestinal barrier improvement, bacterial translocation and maintaining gut microbiota homeostasis to treat cancer. Probiotics' ability to induce apoptosis against tumor cells makes them more effective to treat cancer. Moreover, probiotics stimulate immune function through an immunomodulation mechanism that induces an anti-tumor effect. There are different strains of probiotics, but the most important ones are lactic acid bacteria (LAB) having antagonistic and anti-mutagenic activities. Live and dead probiotics have anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, anti-oxidant and anti-metastatic properties which are useful to fight against different diseases, especially cancer. The main focus of this article is to review the anti-cancerous properties of probiotics and their role in the reduction of different types of cancer. However, further investigations are in progress to improve the efficiency of probiotics in cancer treatment.

Effectiveness of probiotics for the treatment of infantile colic.

Infantile colic is one of the most common health issues that can occur during an infant's first months of life, affecting approximately 20% of all infants. The aetiology of infantile colic is not well understood; however, studies have suggested that changes in the intestinal microbiota can lead to symptoms of infantile colic. For this reason, different strains of probiotics have been studied to help understand their effectiveness in the treatment of infantile colic. The aim of this evidence-based review isto summarise the evidence of the effectiveness of probiotics in the treatment of infantile colic. Several strains of probiotics have been studied, with some presenting positive results for reducing the symptoms of infantile colic in groups with specific characteristics. However, more studies are required to evaluate efficacy and effectiveness of probiotics in different degrees of severity and in larger and more heterogenous samples.

O-149 Personalized probiotics and food supplementation according to microbiome miRNA test improves the conception rate in multiple IVF failure patients

Abstract Study question Can the microbiota play a role in the development of infertility by affecting the epigenetic, immunologic, and/or biochemical functions of the host? Summary answer The customization of diet and a nutraceutical and probiotic supplementation according microbiome miRNA signature could increase the pregnancy and live birth rates. What is known already The normal gut microbiota has an impact on the normal function of the male and female reproductive tract by regulating the immunological changes associated with conception. Several miRNAs -a class of small noncoding RNA molecules that control gene expression at the post-transcriptional level- have been described to be associated with dysbiosis and an immune imbalance. We previously demonstrated that women with unexplained infertility could have a gut and vaginal microbiome imbalance with increased intestinal permeability linked to an overexpression of miR-21 and miR-155. Study design, size, duration Observational study including 287 multiple IVF failure infertile patients. They had an average age of 40y and they performed 4 IVF-ET within 10 years on average. Swab samples were collected from the vagina and rectum. Participants/materials, setting, methods Microbial composition by NGS and miRNA expression by real time PCR of vaginal and rectal samples were measured. Immunometabolic markers from blood (TPO, vitamin D and B12, insulin, LDL) were analyzed. Patients followed a customized food supplementation, according to the tested biomarkers, for 90 days. Main results and the role of chance We found that 80% of women showed increased miRNA levels associated with gut and vaginal microbiome imbalances. Deficient values of Vitamin D and/or B were found in 73.2% of tested patients, whereas 56.1% showed high LDL and or insulin values and 19.9% showed positive anti thyroid TPO antibodies. Based upon the elevated levels of miRNAs and immunometabolic markers (insulin, vitamin D, autoantibodies, LDL cholesterol and secretory IgA), patients completed a 60-90 day therapy prior to their next IVF-ET attempt with no clinical side effects. BMI measurements before and after the therapy were not significantly different. After normalization of the blood biomarkers, each patient underwent a next IVF -ET attempt. The total pregnancy rate resulted in 75% (215/287) of positive chemical pregnancy (hCG) and 73% (157/215) of clinically confirmed pregnancy (ultrasound). The live birth rate per intended egg retrieval (all embryos transfers) was 60% (129/215); 27 pregnancies resulted in first trimester losses and one fetal death after a severe preeclampsia. Limitations, reasons for caution A future study should be performed testing miRNA expression before and after the food supplementation to achieve a direct correlation between the microRNA test and the supplementation in a placebo control study in order to evaluate the efficacy of the personalized supplementation on improving pregnancy and live birth rates. Wider implications of the findings Immune system and microbiome modulation could be adress by customizing different strains of probiotics and nutraceuticals selected for their immunomodulatory capacity. An anti-inflammatory dose-specific effect to maintain a delicate immune balance and favor endometrial mucous vascularization and the subsequent placentation, should be personalized to achieve a healthy pregnancy. Trial registration number CEI 1590

Evidence on the Benefits of Probiotics for Preterm Infants

This article reviews the evidence for the use of different strains of probiotics in the prevention of prevalent pathologies in premature infants. A systematic review was conducted of the use of probiotics in neonates with less than 37 weeks’ gestational age, based on a search for systematic reviews and observational and experimental studies performed during the period January 2014 to February 2021. For this purpose, the PubMed, MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases were consulted. The aim of this article was to review the existing data on the relationship between the administration of probiotics (with different strains and doses) and the risk of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), mortality, late sepsis and other disease parameters in premature infants. The literature search obtained 240 articles, of which we selected 16, representing a total sample of over 200,000 premature infants. Analysis of the data obtained reveals statistical evidence that the combined administration of probiotics (especially Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains) reduces the incidence of grade II or higher NEC, all-cause mortality, late sepsis, length of hospital stay and time until complete enteral nutrition is achieved. However, no benefits were apparent with respect to alleviating bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity or intraventricular haemorrhage. Further research is needed to determine the most appropriate strains, doses and treatment time for preterm infants to achieve the health benefits identified.

Effectiveness of two probiotics in preventing necrotising enterocolitis in a cohort of very-low-birth-weight premature new-borns.

According to previous research, the incidence of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) decreases after supplementation with probiotics. However, few studies have considered the equivalence or otherwise of different strains of probiotics in this respect. Accordingly, this prospective observational study was conducted in a cohort of 245 very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) new-borns to assess the prevalence of NEC after supplementation with the probiotic Inforan® (Berna Biotech, Madrid, Spain) 250 mg capsules containing 109 cfu of Lactobacillus acidophilus (ATCC 4356) and 109 cfu of Bifidobacterium bifidum (ATCC 15696); or with Bivos® (Ferring, Madrid, Spain) containing Lacticaseibacillus (formerly Lactobacillus) rhamnnosus (LGG) (ATCC 53103) (109 cfu); or with no probiotic supplementation. Statistical analysis was performed using multivariant regression for the duration of parenteral nutrition, length of neonatal intensive care unit stay, use of oxygen therapy and presence of chorioamnionitis. Of the VLBW new-borns in the study group, 65 received Infloran, 108 received Bivos and 72 received no probiotic. A significant association was observed between a reduced presence of NEC Stage ≥2 and probiotic supplementation. The odds risk (OR) obtained was 0.174 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.032-0.936) for Infloran and 0.196 (95%CI: 0.053-0.732) for Bivos. Therefore, both probiotics are associated with a lower prevalence of NEC in VLBW new-borns, with no significant differences.

P067 The effect of a probiotic mix on mucosal healing and fibrotic responses in healthy colonic subepithelial myofibroblasts

Abstract Background Various probiotic strains play a positive role in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and might support mucosal healing. Colonic Subepithelial Myofibroblasts (SEMFs) have a pivotal role in mucosal healing and fibrosis, by migrating to the trauma region and secreting collagen. Our study aimed to investigate whether different strains of probiotics can affect the migration capacity and the fibrotic phenotype of SEMFs isolated from healthy individuals. Methods The probiotic mix of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Bifidobacterium lactis and Saccharomyces boulardii was reconstituted in SEMFs culture medium, they were identified by Gram staining and their viability was assessed by Trypan Blue staining. Primary SEMFs were isolated from colonic biopsies from healthy individuals, and stimulated with 102, 104 or 108 cfu/ml of the mix for 6h or 48h; in 6h total RNA was collected and mRNA expression of collagen type I, III, fibronectin, tissue factor (TF) and α-SMA was measured by quantitative PCR, and in 48h their effect on migration rate through the Wound Healing Assay and collagen secretion via Sircol was assessed. Results Trypan Blue confirmed that the majority of the probiotic mix was alive, and all three bacterial strains and the yeast were stained Gram positive. Stimulation of SEMFs with the probiotic mix resulted in different effects depending on its concentration; 102 cfu/ml downregulated protein collagen secretion (3.4μg/ml, IQR: 2.7–5.0, p<0.01 vs control 6.3μg/ml, IQR: 5.2–6.7) and α-SMA mRNA production (0.7-fold, IQR: 0.7–0.8, p<0.01), 104 cfu/ml upregulated the Fibronectin mRNA expression (1.6-fold, IQR: 1.2–1.8, p<0.0001) and 108 cfu/ml downregulated collagen type I (0.2-fold, IQR: 0.1–0.8, p<0.01) and III mRNAs (0.3-fold, IQR: 0.1–0.8, p<0.01). In addition, all three concentrations resulted in the overall upregulation of TF mRNA expression. Regarding the effect of the probiotic mix on SEMFs migration capacity, 104 cfu/ml of the probiotic mix resulted in increased migration rate by 133.8% (IQR: 102.8–150.2, p<0.01) after 24h, while the use of 102 cfu/ml and 108 cfu/ml decreased it by 58.2% (IQR: 34.8–79.7, p<0.01) and by 46.8% (IQR: 34.3–72.1, p<0.01) respectively. Conclusion This study provides evidence that the probiotic strains L. plantarum, L. acidophillus, B. lactis and S. boulardii remain viable in SEMFs’ culture medium and have the ability to interact with and alter the behavior of SEMFs. Moreover, the effect of the probiotic mix on SEMFs fibrotic phenotype is dependent of the concentration of the probiotics used. Further preclinical research is needed in order to identify the effect of each strain, as well as the suitable dose and combinations in various pathological conditions.

Dietary supplementation of Bacillus sp. DU106 activates innate immunity and regulates intestinal microbiota in mice

• Bacillus sp. DU106 is a newly isolated member of the Bacillus cereus group. • Dietary supplementation of Bacillus sp. DU106 enhances body immune organ indexes and lymphocyte transformation rate in vitro . • Bacillus sp. DU106 supplementation increases the level of sIgA and sIgG in vitro . • Bacillus sp. DU106 modulates gut microbiome structure and composition. Probiotic dietary supplementation plays a crucial role in shaping gut microbiota and enhance gut health. In this study, we explored the mechanism of Bacillus sp. DU106, a new member of Bacillus cereus by which analyzed the immune cytokines, immunoglobulins, gut microbial community structure, and compared with three different strains of probiotics affected innate immunity. The result revealed that the thymus index, T lymphocyte transformation rate, sIgA and sIgG were increased remarkably (p < 0.05) in DU106 group. 16S rRNA sequencing analyzed revealed that the community structure of gut microbiota was altered, the genus of Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium and Faecalibaculum, the family of Lactobacillaceae and the phylum of Verrucomicrobia, showed obvious increased in DU106 group, while the species of Actinobacteria, Streptococcus, and Bacteroidesfragilis, were detected to be downregulated in all supplement groups, and reduced significantly in DU106 group. These findings suggest that Bacillus sp. DU106 could be a potential probiotic for activating innate immunity.

The Effectiveness of Probiotics in the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)-A Critical Review.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which affects millions of people worldwide, includes two separate diseases: Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Although the background (chronic inflammatory state) and some of the symptoms of CD and UC are similar, both diseases differ from each other. It is becoming clear that a combination of many factors, in particular genetic background, host immune response and microbial reduced diversity status are associated with IBD. One potential strategy to prevent/treat IBD is gut modulation by probiotics. Over the last twenty years, many publications have focused on the role of probiotics in the course of IBD. The review discusses the utility of different strains of probiotics, especially Bifidobacterium spp., in all factors potentially involved in the etiology of IBD. The probiotic modulatory properties among different study models (cell lines, animal models of colitis, clinical study) are discussed and probiotic usefulness is assessed in relation to the treatment, prevention, and remission of diseases.

Evaluation of the antitumor immune responses of probiotic Bifidobacterium bifidum in human papillomavirus-induced tumor model

As of present, a number of studies have shown anti-cancer effects of different strains of probiotics, but the precise host immunological mechanisms of these antitumor effects remain unclear. Thus, the aim of current study was to investigate the preventive-therapeutic effects of oral versus intravenous administration of probiotic Bifidobacterium bifidum on immune response and tumor growth of C57BL/6 mice bearing transplanted TC-1 cell of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related tumor, expressing HPV-16 E6/E7 oncogenes.Our major findings are that the intravenous or oral administration of Bifidobacterium bifidum effectively induces antitumor immune responses and inhibits tumor growth in mice. Compared to oral route only, intravenous administration of probiotic Bifidobacterium bifidum into tumor-bearing mice leads to the activation of tumor-specific IL-12 and IFN-γ, lymphocyte proliferation, CD8+ cytolytic responses that control and eradicate tumor growth. These observations meant intravenous administration of probiotics is an effective anticancer approach through modulation of the immune system. The potential of probiotic Bifidobacterium bifidum as an immunomodulator in the treatment of cervical cancer could be further explored.

Recurrent Abdominal Pain in Children

Between 4% and 25% of school-aged children complain of recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) severe enough to interfere with their daily activities. We carried out a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in eleven databases and 2 trials registries from inception to June 2016. An update search was run in November 2017. All screening was performed by 2 independent reviewers. Included studies were appraised using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and the evidence assessed using GRADE. We included any dietary, pharmacological or psychosocial intervention for RAP, defined by Apley or an abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorder, as defined by the Rome III criteria, in children and adolescents. We included 55 RCTs, involving 3572 children with RAP (21 dietary, 15 pharmacological, 19 psychosocial, and 1 multiarm). We found probiotic diets, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and hypnotherapy were reported to reduce pain in the short-term and there is some evidence of medium term effectiveness. There was insufficient evidence of effectiveness for all other dietary interventions and psychosocial therapies. There was no robust evidence of effectiveness for pharmacological interventions. Overall the evidence base for treatment decisions is poor. These data suggest that probiotics, CBT, and hypnotherapy could be considered as part of holistic management of children with RAP. The evidence regarding relative effectiveness of different strains of probiotics is currently insufficient to guide clinical practice. The lack of evidence of effectiveness for any drug suggests that there is little justification for their use outside of well-conducted clinical trials. There is an urgent need for high-quality RCTs to provide evidence to guide management of this common condition.

Evaluation of different probiotic strains for growth performance and immunomodulation in Pacific white shrimp Penaeus vannamei Boone, 1931

The use of antibiotics in aquaculture can prevent certain diseases, however, its use is highly restricted due to several environmental and human health problems like development of antibacterial resistance. Probiotics are widely used for improving production of aquatic animals by means of improving water quality as well as by nutritional and immune modulation in animals thus, helping in preventing diseases. The present study was aimed to evaluate different strains of probiotics viz., a commercial probiotic, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus sp., Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces boulardii on the growth, microbial load and immunomodulatory performance of the Pacific white shrimp, Penaeus vannamei. Seven probiotic feeds each containing 5 x 109 CFU ml-1 of respective probiotics kg-1 of feed were prepared by top coating on apellet feed containing 35% protein and duration of the experiment was 75 days. All of the 6 selected strains of probiotics except the commercial one influenced the growth significantly when fed to the shrimp, compared to control group. Specific growth rate (SGR), average daily growth (ADG) and survival rate were observed to be higher in probiotic fed groups. Maximum growth was recorded in S. cerevisiae fed groups (8.05±0.21 g), followed by B. subtilis (7.65±0.21 g), while the control animals showed an average growth of 4.85±0.49 g with percentage improvement in the range of 50-95% when compared to all other treatments. Totalheterotrophic count significantly (p&lt;0.05) increased in the rearing water of B. subtilis treated group (8.995± 0.021 x 103 cfu ml-1) when compared to that of control (5.475± 0.003 X 103 cfu ml-1) and total vibrio load was greatly reduced in B. subtilis (1.42 ± 0.04 x 103 cfu ml-1) and S. cerevisiae (1.47 ± 0.01 x 103 cfu ml-1) treated water compared to control (4.265 ± 0.06 x 103 cfu ml-1). Nonspecific immunity in terms of total haemocyte count (THC) was found to be significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher in B. subtilis (12.4±0.8 106 cells ml-1) treated group while higher (p&lt;0.05) prophenoloxidase (pro PO) activity was recorded in S. erevisiae (0.132±0.001 units min-1 mg protein-1) and B. subtilis (0.130±0.002 units min-1 mg protein-1) treated groups. The probiotic effect was found to be beneficial for better growth and immunomodulation, which was however found to be strain-specific.

Lack of efficacy of Lactobacillus GG in reducing pulmonary exacerbations and hospital admissions in children with cystic fibrosis: A randomised placebo controlled trial

BackgroundIntestinal dysbiosis has been described in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and probiotics have been proposed to restore microbial composition. Aim of the study was to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) on clinical outcomes in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). MethodsA multicentre, randomised double-blind, clinical trial was conducted in children with CF. After 6months of baseline assessment, enrolled children (2 to 16years of age) received Lactobacillus GG (6×109CFU/day) or placebo for 12months. Primary outcomes were proportion of subjects with at least one pulmonary exacerbation and hospitalisation over 12months. Secondary endpoints were total number of exacerbations and hospitalisations, pulmonary function, and nutritional status. ResultsNinety-five patients were enrolled (51/95 female; median age of 103±50months). In a multivariate GEE logistic analysis, the odds of experiencing at least one exacerbation was not significantly different between the two groups, also after adjusting for the presence of different microbial organisms and for the number of pulmonary exacerbations within 6months before randomisation (OR 0.83; 95% CI 0.38 to 1.82, p=0.643). Similarly, LGG supplementation did not significantly affect the odds of hospitalisations (OR 1.67; 95% CI 0.75 to 3.72, p=0.211). No significant difference was found for body mass index and FEV1. ConclusionsLGG supplementation had no effect on respiratory and nutritional outcomes in this large study population of children with CF under stringent randomised clinical trial conditions. Whether earlier interventions, larger doses, or different strains of probiotics may be effective is unknown.

Restoration of cefixime-induced gut microbiota changes by Lactobacillus cocktails and fructooligosaccharides in a mouse model

Probiotics have been used to rebuild the antibiotic-induced dysfunction in gut microbiota, but whether the different strains of probiotics result in similar or reverse effects remains unclear. In this study, the different recovery effects of two cocktails (each contains four strains) of Lactobacillus and fructooligosaccharide against cefixime-induced change of gut microbiota were evaluated in C57BL/6J mice. The results show that the use of cefixime caused a reduction in the diversities of the microbial community and led to significantly decreasing to one preponderant Firmicutes phylum, which was difficult to restore naturally in the short term. The gut microbiota compositions of the groups treated with the probiotic cocktails were much more diverse than those of the natural recovery group. The effects of Lactobacillus cocktails against the cefixime-induced gut microbiota change may mainly be due to the beneficial SCFAs production in vivo and also be related to the good cell adhesion properties performed in vitro. Meanwhile, the restoration of the cefixime-induced gut microbiota was significantly different between two Lactobacillus groups since the Lactobacillus strains with high levels of fructooligosaccharide use and better cell adhesion properties performed considerably better than the Lactobacillus strains with high survival rates in the gastrointestinal tract. The contents of short-chain fatty acids in ceca were increased to 26.483±1.925 and 25.609±2.782μmol/g in the two probiotic cocktail groups respectively compared to 15.791±0.833μmol/g (P<0.05) in control group. Moreover, intestinal inflammation was alleviated by administration of the Lactobacillus cocktails. However, fructooligasaccharide administration showed certain effects on gut microbiota restoration (such as an increase of Akkermansia), although its effect on the entire microbiome structure is not so obvious.

Probiotic Lactobacillus Strains Stimulate the Inflammatory Response and Activate Human Macrophages.

Lactobacilli have been shown to promote health functions. In this study, we analyzed the mechanism by which four different strains of probiotics affected innate immunity, such as regulation of ROS, cytokines, phagocytosis, bactericidal activity, signaling by NF-κB pp65, and TLR2 activation. The production of ROS was dependent on the concentration and species of Lactobacillus. The results obtained from the tested strains (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, L. rhamnosus KLSD, L. helveticus IMAU70129, and L. casei IMAU60214) showed that strains induced early proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-8,TNF-α, IL-12p70, and IL-6. However, IL-1β expression was induced only by L. helveticus and L. casei strains (after 24 h stimulation). Phagocytosis and bactericidal activity of macrophages against various pathogens, such as S. aureus, S. typhimurium, and E. coli, were increased by pretreatment with Lactobacillus. The nuclear translocation NF-κB pp65 and TLR2-dependent signaling were also increased by treatment with the probiotics. Taken together, the experiments demonstrate that probiotic strains of Lactobacillus exert early immunostimulatory effects that may be directly linked to the initial inflammation of the response of human macrophages.