Prebiotic Therapy Research Articles

Probiotic and Prebiotic Therapy in Small Animals

Prebiotic fibres include inulin, aleurone, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), mono- oligosaccharides (MOS) and beet pulp. Diets containing MOS and FOS increase “good” bacteria and decrease “bad” bacteria in dogs. Inulin and aleurone in addition to influencing gut microflora also improve mineral absorption and increase SCFA production which is a critical energy source for colonocytes. SCFAs also lower gut pH which may retard the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Aleurone also increased macronutrient absorption in dogs and appears to be an effective new prebiotic found in wheat bran. Aleurone is single layer of cells between the bran layer and the endosperm. Wheat aleurone is a highly concentrated source of fiber; in fact, aleurone is the primary source of bioactive effects conferred by whole wheat. In addition to fiber, the aleurone layer contains B vitamins, antioxidants, lignans, sterols, B vitamins and oligosaccharides.

Probiotics and prebiotics: role in prevention of nosocomial sepsis in preterm infants.

Nosocomial sepsis is associated with increased mortality and morbidity including neurodevelopmental impairment and prolonged hospital stay. Prevention of sepsis especially in the preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit remains a major challenge. The gastrointestinal tract is an important source of potential pathogens causing nosocomial sepsis as the immature intestinal epithelium can permit translocation of bacteria and yeast. The intestinal tract and its microflora play an important role in the immunity. Altering the gut microflora has been extensively studied for immunomodulation in preterm infants. Probiotics are live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. Probiotics have been used for prevention and treatment of various medical conditions in children and adults. Studies on probiotics in premature infants have focused on normalizing intestinal flora, improvement in feeding intolerance, prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis. In this paper, we discuss the intestinal bacterial colonization pattern; the rational for probiotics and prebiotic therapy with special focus on the prevention of nosocomial sepsis in preterm infants.

Inulin supplementation in rat model of pouchitis.

Available data indicates potential effectiveness of prebiotic therapy in alleviating inflammation and prolonging the remission in inflammatory bowel disease. Documented successes of such therapies were the basis for this study. So far, there is no data related to the effectiveness of inulin application in symptomatic or severe pouchitis in humans or in animal model. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of inulin supplementation on the expression of intestinal inflammation and feeding efficiency in rats with induced pouchitis. Twenty-four Wistar rats were operated. After induction of pouchitis animals were randomly divided into control and supplementation groups receiving, respectively, semi-synthetic diet with or without inulin (in a lower (LD) or higher (HD) dose: 2.5 % or 5 % of total dietary content of mass) for a period of 6 weeks. Selected nutritional parameters were assessed throughout the study. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of pouch mucosa specimens was also performed. The energy intake, weight gain, feeding efficiency, quality of stools were comparable in all studied groups. The intensity of inflammation (Moskovitz scale) and adaptive changes (Laumonier scale) did not differ between compared groups. The tissue expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory interleukins (IL-1α, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12) was not different either. Inulin supplementation does not improve the quality of stools or the expression of intestinal inflammation in rats with induced pouchitis. It has no impact on the intensity of pouch adaptation or on feeding efficiency.

High dose probiotic and prebiotic cotherapy for remission induction of active Crohn’s disease

Clinical trials of probiotic treatment for Crohn's disease (CD) have yielded conflicting results. This study assessed the clinical usefulness of combined probiotic and prebiotic therapy in the treatment of active CD. Ten active CD outpatients without history of operation for CD were enrolled. Their mean (+/-SD) age was 27 +/- 7 years and the main symptoms presented were diarrhea and abdominal pain. Patients' initial therapeutic regimen of aminosalicylates and prednisolone failed to achieve remission. Patients were thus initiated on a synbiotic therapy, consisting of both probiotics (75 billion colony forming units [CFU] daily) and prebiotics (psyllium 9.9 g daily). Probiotics mainly comprised Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Patients were free to adjust their intake of probiotics or prebiotics throughout the trial. Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI), International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD) score and blood sample variables were evaluated and compared before and after the trial. The duration of the trial was 13.0 +/- 4.5 months. By the end of therapy, each patient had taken a 45 +/- 24 billion CFU daily probiotic dose, with six patients taking an additional 7.9 +/- 3.6 g daily psyllium dose. Seven patients had improved clinical symptoms following combined probiotic and prebiotic therapy. Both CDAI and IOIBD scores were significantly reduced after therapy (255-136, P = 0.009; 3.5-2.1, P = 0.03, respectively). Six patients had a complete response, one had a partial response, and three were non-responders. Two patients were able to discontinue their prednisolone therapy, while four patients decreased their intake. There were no adverse events. High-dose probiotic and prebiotic cotherapy can be safely and effectively used for the treatment of active CD.

Amelioration of “gas syndromes” in the irritable bowel syndrome with prebiotic and probiotic therapy

Amelioration of “gas syndromes” in the irritable bowel syndrome with prebiotic and probiotic therapy

Reversal of lactose malabsorption with prebiotic and probiotic therapy

Reversal of lactose malabsorption with prebiotic and probiotic therapy