Bioecological and nutritional control of disease: prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics

A growing number of patients worlwide suffer acute and chronic diseases. Evidence supports the association of chronic diseases to modern lifestyle habits and malfunction of the immune system. Morbidity and mortality for patients affected of chronic diseases is unacceptably high despite advanced surgical and medical treatments. Nowadays there is an increasing interest in the bioecological and nutritional control of diseases. The use of prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics, e.g. antioxidants, anti-inflammatory omega-3 lipid emulsions, bioactive fibers, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), etc, appears as a new tool for the treatment of disease. The effects of antioxidants and omega-3 lipid emulsions remain largely unexplored, but significant modulatory effects on neutrophils and morbidity have been observed. It is burning that these compounds are tried in patients including surgically and critically ill patients. Some bioactive fibers and some probiotic bacteria have demonstrated extraordinary efficacy to restore and maintain immunity and prevent complications. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have demonstrated ability to reduce or eliminate potential pathogen micro-organisms, as well as various toxins, mutagens and carcinogens; they also promote apoptosis, synthesize and release numerous nutrients, antioxidants, growth-factors, coagulation and other bioactive compounds, and modulate the innate and adaptive immune defence mechanisms. More recent studies suggest that LAB promote and maintain gastrointestinal (GI) motility and prevent GI paralysis and postoperative ileus and have the ability to inhibit inflammation. Further studies are needed to ascertain the molecular mechanisms by which pre-, pro- and synbiotics influence the outcome in a variety of acute and chronic diseases.