In VitroScreening of Probiotic Characteristics of Some Italian Products

Abstract

Six commercial probiotic products produced and marketed Italy (containing Lactobacillus GG, Lactobacillus casei DG, Lactobacillus reuteri, Bacillus clausii spores, Bifidobacterium longum and Saccharomyces boulardii) were assayed for their stability during storage, acid, base and bile tolerance and adherence to human intestinal cells. Results indicate that storage, even at conditions established by manufacturers, affects the microbial content of products based on B. longum and partially of that containing L. casei GG . Differences in acid and bile tolerance were found for the products, S. boulardii being better able to survive acid and bile than bacteria. Vegetative cells of B. clausii and B. longum were more susceptible than lactobacilli to low pH values, while fewer differences were found for bile tolerance. Lactobacilli and only partially B. longum, were able to adhere to Caco-2 cells, while S. boulardii and B. clausii showed reduced adherence to human intestinal cells. In conclusion, the products did not completely fulfill all probiotic attributes.

The vaginal isolate Lactobacillus paracasei LPC-S01 (DSM 26760) is suitable for oral administration

“…To test this hypothesis, we performed an intervention trial, in which we compared the gut persistence of L. paracasei LPC-S01 with that of strain DG. Following a daily consumption of 24 billion viable cells for 1 week, we estimated that strain LPC-S01 reached a concentration of about 10 8 cells per g of feces, persisting above the detection limit (10 5 cells per g of feces) for about 5 days, which is not significantly dissimilar to the persistence of the reference L. paracasei DG, a strain demonstrated to colonize the human gut of healthy adults and induce specific modifications in the microbiota composition (De Vecchi et al, 2008 ; Ferrario et al, 2014 ). Our data on L. paracasei persistence are in agreement with other studies, which observed that the persistence of L. paracasei Shirota in the gastrointestinal tract of healthy adults is lower than 1 week after cessation of the probiotic ingestion (Tuohy et al, 2007 ; Wang et al, 2015 ).…”

Role of probiotics in the prevention of the enteric colonization by Candida in preterm newborns: incidence of late-onset sepsis and neurological outcome

“…L. reuteri is reported to be highly resistant to the acid pH and to the antibiotic treatment thanks to a reduced length of the parenteral nutrition and of the use of central venosus catheter with lesser bacterial infection. 36, 38 The frequent use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, in preterms alters the intestinal milieu, favoring colonization and infections with multiresistent bacteria and fungi. 28 Our results show that probiotic supplementation reduces Candida colonization in NICU newborns, leading to a reduction in the duration of hospitalization.…”

Consensus and contentious statements on the use of probiotics in clinical practice: A south east Asian gastro‐neuro motility association working team report

“…Benefits are often assumed based on the usage of known constituents, rather than from clinical trials. Microbiological evaluations of commercial probiotic products have shown inconsistencies between the content claimed on the label and actual probiotic strain identified, and sizeable loss of microbial load was observed during storage . Notwithstanding the relatively low grade of evidence, the strong and consistent agreement (96% pre‐voting and 100% post discussion) reflects the sentiment that, until and unless more stringent regulation is imposed (unlikely in the foreseeable future), those in the health supplements industry who are willing to invest in clinical research will be the exception rather than the rule.…”