Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 11, Issue 1, 2005

The functionality of dietary components, beyond provision of inherent nutritional benefits, has in relatively recent times become the focus of both lay and scientific interest. The imagination of the public has been captured by the concept that diet has a significant impact on health. The belief that one's quality of life can be enhanced through manipulation of patterns of food intake has resulted in “prebiotic” and, most especiall Read More

There is considerable clinical interest in the utility of probiotic therapy - the feeding of (live) non-pathogenic bacteria, originally derived from the alimentary tract, for disease treatment or health promotion. The microflora of the gastrointestinal tract is essential for mucosal protection, for immune education and for metabolism of fecal residue. Physiological disturbances of these processes, when they occur, result from: i) a Read More

Probiotics, defined as ''Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host'' have many attributes including the lack of adverse side effects associated with their use. While probiotics have proven benefits, the optimism associated with their use is counterbalanced by the fact that many so-called 'probiotic' products are unreliable in content and unproven clinically. Theref Read More

This article reviews pertinent legislation regulating the safety of probiotics within the European Union (EU). Currently available probiotic organisms and known issues regarding their safety are briefly summarised. While most of the species and genera, particularly lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are apparently safe, certain micro-organisms may be problematic; particularly the enterococci, which are associated with nosocomial in Read More

Recent advances in DNA sequencing has made it possible to accurately decipher the entire genetic complement of a probiotic bacterium. Increases in sequencing capabilities have been enhanced through improved computer software that can annotate, or identify, the majority of genes encoded by the sequence. The availability of annotated genome sequence will be important in defining the capabilities of the individual strains of Read More

Although the epicentres of probiotic research in the past decade have been Japan and Europe, researchers in the Asia-Pacific region have actively contributed to the growing understanding of the intestinal microbial ecosystem, and interactions between gut bacteria, diet and health of the human host. A number of new probiotic strains have been developed in the region that have been demonstrated to have beneficial imp Read More

A number of studies involving the feeding of probiotics and prebiotics to infants have been published over the last decade. These studies have examined a wide range of health outcomes, including growth and safety, prophylaxis and alleviation of diarrheal disease, reduction in atopic disease, reduction in necrotizing enterocolitis, and reduction in infection of the preterm infant. In addition, these studies have described Read More

There is increasing awareness that the human gut microflora plays a critical role in maintaining host health, both within the gastrointestinal tract and, through the absorption of metabolites, systemically. An 'optimal' gut microflora establishes an efficient barrier to the invasion and colonisation of the gut by pathogenic bacteria, produces a range of metabolic substrates which in turn are utilized by the host (e.g. vitamins and sho Read More