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Adhesion of probiotic strains to the intestinal mucosa and interaction with pathogens

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1521-6918(03)00052-0Get rights and content

Abstract

Probiotic lactic acid strains are live micro-organisms that, when consumed in adequate amounts as part of food, confer a health benefit on the host. The scientific basis for the use of selected probiotic strains has only recently been firmly established, and appropriate and well-conducted experimental in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as clinical studies, are now beginning to be published, especially with regard to the effectiveness of probiotic strains in antagonizing pathogens. In particular, experimental data have allowed new insights into selected probiotic strains that express strain-specific probiotic properties and into the mechanism of action of these strains. The objective of this review is to analyse the in vitro or in vivo experimental studies in which the antimicrobial activity of selected Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains has been documented.

Section snippets

Adhesiveness of probiotic lactic acid bacteria

Pioneering studies by Reid and co-workers16., 17., 18., 19. have demonstrated experimentally that selected Lactobacillus strains of urovaginal origin have adhesive properties that enable them to inhibit and/or prevent the colonization of uroepithelial cells by uropathogens. The same mechanism of action has subsequently been proposed for Lactobacillus strains of intestinal origin. Appropriate polarized and fully differentiated human intestinal cell models in culture that mimic the human

Adhesion mechanisms of probiotic lactic acid bacteria

Lactic acid bacteria display various surface determinants that are involved in their interaction with intestinal epithelial cells. The microbial adhesion process of lactic acid bacteria includes passive forces, electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic, steric forces, lipoteichoic acids and specific structures such as external appendages covered by lectins. The bacterial component involved in the adhesion of L. acidophilus strains LB and BG2FO4 was protease resistant and bacterial surface

In vitro demonstration of the activity of lactic acid bacteria against gastrointestinal microbial pathogens

In vitro experimental studies have demonstrated that selected lactic acid strains are effective against diarrhoeagenic bacteria. By producing metabolites such as acetic and lactic acids, and thus lowering the pH, a large number of Lactobacillus strains inhibit the growth of bacterial pathogens.59 However, the inhibition of the growth of Shigella sonnei is not caused by pH alone but results from the presence of Lactobacillus-inhibiting substance(s) that are extracellular and diffusible.60 A

In vivo demonstration of the activity of lactic acid bacteria against gastrointestinal microbial pathogens

The antibacterial activity of lactic acid bacteria has been principally investigated using two infected mice models. The first is that of gnotobiotic mice, in which the microflora is missing and the epithelium is not fully differentiated. The second model is that of conventional mice, which have both a microflora and a fully differentiated epithelium. The antagonistic activity of lactic acid bacteria against some of the bacteria and viruses involved in diarrhoea in humans cannot, however, be

Mechanisms of the antibacterial effects of probiotic lactic acid bacteria

Many mechanisms have been postulated by which probiotics could enhance intestinal health, including competition for limited nutrients, inhibition of the epithelial and mucosal adherence of pathogens, inhibition of epithelial invasion by pathogens, the production of antimicrobial substances and/or the stimulation of mucosal immunity. A group of antibacterial proteins known as bacteriocins, produced by Gram-positive bacteria including lactobacilli, has been shown to display a wide antibacterial

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