Effects of Probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei-enriched Artichokes on Constipated Patients

Abstract

These preliminary data suggest that novel approaches for treating constipation can come through ingestion of probiotic vegetable products that, acting as symbiotics, can ameliorate this common disorder.

Probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei IMPC 2.1 strain delivered by ready-to-eat swordfish fillets colonizes the human gut after alternate-day supplementation

“…Actually, intervention studies are usually based on a daily supplementation of 4 weeks even though there are some indication that faecal bifidobacteria and lactobacilli can be modulated after 7 or 10-days of probiotic intake (Chen, Wu, Lee, Huang, & Wu, 1999;Tuohy et al, 2007). Probiotic artichoke and olive product intake at daily basis lasting 15 days has allowed the colonization of human gut by L. paracasei IMPC 2.1 (Lavermicocca et al, 2005;Riezzo et al, 2012;Valerio et al, 2010Valerio et al, , 2011. In particular, an in vivo trial on eight human subjects suffering from constipation and a placebo-controlled human trial with 20 healthy subjects demonstrated the efficacy of L. paracasei IMPC 2.1 carried by ready-to-eat artichokes in transiently colonizing the human gut thus modulating potentially harmful bacteria, faecal enzyme activity and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production as well as symptom profile (Riezzo et al, 2012;Valerio et al, 2010Valerio et al, , 2011.…”

“…Probiotic artichoke and olive product intake at daily basis lasting 15 days has allowed the colonization of human gut by L. paracasei IMPC 2.1 (Lavermicocca et al, 2005;Riezzo et al, 2012;Valerio et al, 2010Valerio et al, , 2011. In particular, an in vivo trial on eight human subjects suffering from constipation and a placebo-controlled human trial with 20 healthy subjects demonstrated the efficacy of L. paracasei IMPC 2.1 carried by ready-to-eat artichokes in transiently colonizing the human gut thus modulating potentially harmful bacteria, faecal enzyme activity and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production as well as symptom profile (Riezzo et al, 2012;Valerio et al, 2010Valerio et al, , 2011. Moreover, a higher genetic diversity of LAB has been observed after the probiotic artichoke intake (Valerio et al, 2011) as also observed in the current study after probiotic fish fillet consumption following an alternate-day scheme.…”

“…This was demonstrated in the case of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus paracasei IMPC 2.1, which has been used for the development of innovative and patented probiotic vegetable products, the marketing of which has been authorized by the Italian Ministry of Health . Human feeding studies demonstrated that this probiotic strain is able to reach in adequate amounts the gut when delivered by vegetable matrices such as artichokes and table olives (Lavermicocca et al, 2005;Riezzo et al, 2012;Valerio et al, 2010Valerio et al, , 2011. Currently among probiotic foods, fish products have been rarely studied as vehicles for probiotic strains in humans.…”

Change of Fecal Flora and Effectiveness of the Short-term VSL#3 Probiotic Treatment in Patients With Functional Constipation

“…The other possibility is that physiologically active substances produced by the gut flora may have affected colon transit, regardless of the fold differences in the concentration of bacterial species. 12,[24][25][26] Several studies have demonstrated that administering probiotics or prebiotics such as Lactobacillus-enriched artichoke reduced visceral hypersensitivity and inflammation, or relieved symptoms of constipation, without altering bacterial populations. [26][27][28] Probiotics are capable of lowering intracolonic pH due to bacterial SCFA production.…”

Slow Transit Constipation Associated With Excess Methane Production and Its Improvement Following Rifaximin Therapy: A Case Report

“…Stools were hard, lumpy, which were difficult to pass (Bristol type I, Figure). 5 She denied evacuating manually or having rectal prolapse. Alarm features such as unintentional weight loss, bleeding per rectum, severe abdominal pain and anorexia were absent.…”