Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Assessing the Viability of a Synthetic Bacterial Consortium on the In Vitro Gut Host-microbe Interface
Published on: July 4, 2018
Development of new probiotics by strain combinations: is it possible to improve the adhesion to intestinal mucus?
M C Collado1, J Meriluoto, S Salminen
1Functional Foods Forum, University of Turku, Itäinen Pitkäkatu 4A, 20520 Turku, Finland. marcol@utu.fi
Abstract:
We evaluated the ability of commercial probiotic strains (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, L. rhamnosus LC705, Bifidobacterium breve 99, and Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. shermanii JS) to adhere alone or in different combinations to immobilized mucus. Probiotic combinations were clearly able to enhance the adhesion of L. rhamnosus GG, L. rhamnosus LC705, and P. freudenreichii ssp. shermanii JS. For L. rhamnosus GG and P. freudenreichii JS, all the combinations significantly improved adhesion to intestinal mucus, from 29.7 to 34.9% and from 1.9 to 2.3%, respectively. The adhesion of L. rhamnosus LC705 was improved from 0 to 46.4%. The adhesion of B. breve 99 was improved only in combination with L. rhamnosus GG and P. freudenreichii JS. Our results suggest that probiotic combinations could increase the beneficial health effects as compared with individual strains. Combinations of probiotic strains may therefore have synergistic adhesion effects, and such combinations also should be assessed in clinical studies.
Related Concept Videos
Probiotics
Development of Human Microbiota
Microbiota of the Stomach and Small Intestine
Introduction to the Human Microbiota
Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Stability Enhancement and GI Retention
Microbiota Modulation by Antibiotics

