Impact of Probiotics and Prebiotics on Colon Cancer: Mechanistic Insights and Future Approaches

Abstract

Colon cancer is one of the most common and most diagnosed types of cancer. It is a major cause of increased rate of morbidity and mortality across the globe. Currently, the focus has been shifted towards natural remedies for the treatment of colon cancer. These new methods of treatment include prebiotics and probiotics, as they offer great potential for alleviating symptoms of cancer. These are more promising and have lesser side effects than existing medications. Probiotics are living organisms which confer health benefits when ingested into adequate amounts. Prebiotics are non-digestible ingredients which promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, which produce metabolites for stimulation of apoptosis of colonic cancer cell lines. Apart from it, prebiotics are helpful to modify the activity of enzymes to be produced by beneficial bacteria as well as for inhibition of several bacteria able to produce carcinogenic enzymes. This review has been collated to present tremendous benefits and future potential of pro- and prebiotics in the treatment of colon cancer and to overview the mechanisms of probiotic actions along with their impact on humans.

Lactic acid bacteria isolated from the Stingless bee Scaptotrigona mexicana and partial characterization of their probiotic activity

“…For a microorganism to be considered probiotic for humans, it must meet such requirements as safety, viability, resistance to acid and bile, ability to produce antimicrobial substances (organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, peptides, and bacteriocins, among others), stimulation of the host's immune response, and effects on metabolic activities, such as vitamin production and cholesterol assimilation (Khusro et al, 2018). All of the above can lead to the reduction of gastrointestinal disorders, improvement of the general state of health, and even decreases in the incidence of colorectal cancer (Arora et al, 2019) and other health disorders.…”