Propionibacteria used as probiotics - A review

Abstract

Summary -The investigation of probiotics has been very intensive during the last decades, concentrating mainly on lactic acid and bifidobacteria. But there is also clear evidence that propionibacteria have probiotic effects. The probiotic influence is based on the production of propionic acid, bacteriocins, vitamin B 12 , better exploitation of fodder, growth stimulation of other beneficial bacteria and the ability to stay alive during gastric digestion. In Finland, large test series with piglets receiving Propionibacterium freudenreichii in their fodder have been performed. The growth promotant effect was significant and the fodder demand was c1early lower when compared with the control group. The bacterial concentration used was, on average, 2 x 109 cfu/g and the dose/animal 1-5 g/d. The minerai and trace element contents of a Propionibacterium freudenreichii-mass have also been studied. In other European countries, mixtures of propionibacteria and lactic acid/bifidobacteria have been used with positive results as probiotics for ca Ives. Propionibacteria have also been investigated as human probiotics, especially in curing intestinal disorders of children and elderly people. The occurrence of lactic acid bacteria and propionibacteria in living food is very interesting as different kinds of this food type obviously act as probiotics. Thus, propionibacteria can be considered as potential probiotics requiring further research.

Dairy Propionibacteria: Less Conventional Probiotics to Improve the Human and Animal Health

“…In this sense, it has been reported that dairy propionibacteria administered alone or combined with other microorganisms increase the weight gain, feed efficiency and health of different animals such as laying hens and broilers [147], pigs [148] and calves [149,150].…”

“…Mantere-Alhonen [148] was the first to achieve growth promotion in piglets fed with different species of propionibacteria being P freudenreichii ssp shermanii the most effective probiotic among the species tested. When propionibacteria were fed to piglets in a daily concentration of 2 x 10 9 cfu/g, the weight gain was 9.2-14.5% higher, the fodder demand was 7.2-46.1% lower than the control group and the animals had less diarrhoea.…”

Survival and beneficial effects of propionibacteria in the human gut: in vivo and in vitro investigations

“…Propionibacteria display several promising characteristics, including the production of vitamin B12, which led to consideration of their use as human probiotics [18]. Pérez Chaia et al showed that they positively modulate intestinal microflora in mice by modifying the number of anaerobes and coliforms.…”

In vitro adhesion of propionic acid bacteria to human intestinal mucus

“…However, the potential use of PAB as probiotics has been little investigated [14]. Probiotics have been defined as microbial cell preparations or components of microbial cells that have a beneficial effect on the health and well-being of the host [22].…”

“…PAB are members of the normal intestinal microflora, though not as a major component, where they are thought to play a role in the digestion of protein [12], and contribute to the production of vitamin K [6]. Some health effects of PAB have been reported; stimulation of the immune system [8,11], stimulation of the growth of bifidobacteria [3,10] and reduction of mutagen-producing faecal enzyme activity [14,21]. The ability of PAB to suppress the growth of yeasts and fungi could also have considerable therapeutic use [23].…”