Chapter Nine - Interactions of probiotics and prebiotics with the gut microbiota
Introduction
The term “microbiota” refers to the entire population of microorganisms in a given location. The largest population of microorganisms is the microbiota of the gut, which is comprised of more than 2000 bacterial species and is significantly influenced by intrinsic (genetics, age) and extrinsic (body mass index, smoking, physical activity, diet) factors, mainly by diet, which regulates microbial activity and gene expression (Fig. 1).1, 2, 3 Studies have shown that several diseases are associated with an imbalance of the bacterial composition of the gut, which is referred to as a dysbiosis. Dietary interventions may be effective in restoring it to a healthier state.4
In this sense, functional foods, which in addition to their nutritional properties must confer a defined benefit to the consumer's health, seem to be interesting alternatives for dietary interventions targeting at improving the microbiota shape. The most known functional foods or ingredients are polyphenol, polyunsaturated fatty acids, prebiotics, and probiotics.5, 6
Probiotics are defined as “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”7 While the definition of probiotics has been debated, an expert consensus from 2013 has agreed on this description.8 The major mechanisms of action of probiotics on human health are multifold and include competition with pathogens for nutrients and adhesion sites, production of bacteriocin, vitamins, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), immunomodulation, improvement of the intestinal barrier, and production of neurotransmitters.9
In the last years, studies related to probiotics and their effects on human health have increased exponentially. The vehicles or food matrices used to deliver probiotics affect the viability of the microorganisms and, therefore, have different impacts on the host microbiota. In addition, prebiotics and bioactive food compounds may interact with the commensal microorganisms that inhabit the human gut.
Several clinical trials have been conducted in order to evaluate the effect of probiotics, primarily those containing bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genera, on different food matrices and their impacts on the human health, leading to heterogeneous results. In this chapter, we will delve into different bioactive and probiotic foods and their effects on the human health.
Section snippets
An overview into the human microbiota
The human microbiota consists of a complex ecosystem that holds approximately 1014 bacteria. Much has been discussed about the factors that may contribute to its shape in the prenatal period, since the mother's oral microbiota has recently been identified as being similar to that found in the placenta, comprising Firmicutes, Tenericutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroides, and Fusobacteria phyla. One hypothesis is that these bacteria are transported from the oral cavity to the fetus through the
Functional foods
It is well known that functional foods may be good alternatives in preventing or ameliorating the status of certain diseases. Moreover, they can be used in combination with traditional therapies as adjuvants and, unlike antibiotics, will not have a detrimental effect on beneficial populations of bacteria. The major functional foods or ingredients explored are prebiotics, probiotics, the combinations of both in synbiotic foods, in addition to dietary fibers and bioactive compounds.
Effects on healthy individuals
A limited number of clinical trials have studied the impact of probiotics or bioactive food consumption on the gut microbiota, especially in healthy individuals. Several studies evaluated the fecal recovery of probiotic strains in order to verify if the administered microorganisms survived through the GIT, in addition to checking the participants' adherence to the dietary intervention. Indeed, molecular biology techniques, like gene sequencing or real-time PCR quantification, are helpful in
Application on early life conditions and diseases
Gastrointestinal disturbances are common in the early years of life. Therefore, many clinical trials are dedicated to preventing and treating diseases that affect this population, including acute and antibiotic-associated diarrhea, infantile colic, prevention of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, necrotizing enterocolitis, H. pylori infection and neonatal sepsis.67
It is common for infants not to receive exclusive breastmilk and to minimally receive its benefits.68 Thus, some infant
Proposed mechanisms of action
There are several pathways associated with potential health benefits of prebiotic and probiotic consumption. Fig. 2 summarizes some of them that will be discussed hereafter.
Future perspectives
Throughout this chapter, we have discussed the various effects of probiotics and prebiotics and their implications on the human health (Fig. 3). However, it is noteworthy to mention that results in human studies are still heterogeneous and may not be applied universally to diseases, bacterial strains, and individuals from different geographic regions.
The key understanding when we talk about probiotics is that their effects are strain specific and are usually studied in a particular
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2023, Food ChemistryCitation Excerpt :Functional foods have been studied and proposed to modulate the intestinal environment preventing different disorders. Gut microbiota comprises all taxa of the intestinal microbial community, such as bacteria, archaea, and eukaryote, and has more than 2000 bacterial species (Ballan, Battistini, Xavier-Santos, & Saad, 2020). The human microbiota itself has been studied for a long time.