Prenatal and postnatal administration of prebiotics and probiotics

Abstract

SUMMARY Colonization of the neonatal gut by beneficial bacteria is important for the establishment and maintenance of the mucosal barrier, thus protecting the neonate from enteric pathogens and local and systemic inflammation. The neonatal microbiome is influenced by infant diet, environment, and the maternal microbiome. Dysbiosis in pregnancy increases the risk of pre-eclampsia, diabetes, infection, preterm labor, and later childhood atopy. Dysbiosis of the neonatal gut plays an important role in colic in the term infant, in the disease processes which plague preterm infants, including necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis, and in the long-term outcomes of neonates. Administration of enteral prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics during pregnancy, lactation, and postnatal life appears to be a safe and feasible method to alter the maternal and neonatal microbiome, thus improving pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.

Maternal prebiotic supplementation reduces fatty liver development in offspring through altered microbial and metabolomic profiles in rats

“…The gut microbiota is being increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of NAFLD (59, 60). Here, our data provide supporting evidence for the role of both maternal diet and microbiota and lifelong dietary patterns on gut microbiota, as the gut microbial composition of offspring, based on maternal diet, differed most at 3 wk, followed by 11, and finally 24 wk (61–63). These data are consistent with the current dogma that diet is a major driver of gut microbial composition (62), as there was a clear convergence in microbial abundances between offspring of different maternal groups as time on the HFS diet progressed.…”

“…Finally, we provide evidence that hepatic steatosis is associated with alterations in metabolites associated with 1-carbon metabolism and insulin resistance, which were linked with abundance of specific gut microbial groups. Prebiotic supplementation represents a simple dietary means of improving metabolic health, and, although there are a limited number of clinical trials involving maternal prebiotic supplementation, it has been suggested as a safe and feasible method of improving maternal outcomes (63). The data presented here provide foundational long-term time-course evidence that maternal OFS supplementation may also improve the metabolic health of the offspring, in particular hepatic steatosis, in later life.…”

“…supplementation, it has been suggested as a safe and feasible method of improving maternal outcomes (63). The data presented here provide foundational long‐term time‐course evidence that maternal OFS supplementation may also improve the metabolic health of the offspring, in particular hepatic steatosis, in later life.…”

Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum on the intestinal morphology, intestinal barrier function and microbiota composition of suckling piglets

“…In vitro, L. plantarum is reported to protect the epithelial barrier disruption caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in intestinal porcine epithelial cells (Wang, Zeng, et al, ; Wu et al, ). The neonatal period is a critical time to establish a stable, lifelong host–microbial homeostasis; colonization by beneficial bacteria is important for maintaining the intestinal mucosal barrier and protecting the neonates from pathogens and inflammation (Sohn & Underwood, ; Stockinger, Hornef, & Chassin, ). However, the effect of L. plantarum on the gut health of suckling piglets is unknown.…”

Impact of the incorporation of probiotic strains and fruit by-products in fermented synbiotic soy product and on the composition and metabolic activity of the gut microbiota <i>in vitro</i>

“…Therefore, maintenance of the viability of probiotic bacteria in the food matrix has been a prerequisite for ensuring its effect on the host health (ZACARIAS et al, 2011). SOHN and UNDERWOOD (2017) pointed out that innovative methods of probiotic delivery should be explored since nowadays probiotic products are limited to the microorganism's resistance to the gastrointestinal stress.…”