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Published on: July 31, 2019
Probiotics and Gastrointestinal Disease: Clinical Evidence and Basic Science
1Department of Medicine, GIDRU and Division of Infectious Diseases, Queen's University, Kingston, ON Canada.
Probiotics, derived from gut bacteria, offer clinical benefits for gastrointestinal issues. While strain-specific, they share anti-inflammatory and host-protective effects, with safety also considered.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
- Immunology
Background:
- Intestinal microbiota are crucial for gastrointestinal health.
- Probiotics, derived from gut bacteria, offer clinical benefits.
- Probiotic efficacy is strain-specific and mechanism-dependent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review selected probiotics with available clinical and mechanistic data.
- To discuss common features and strain-specific effects of probiotics.
- To address the safety of probiotic formulations.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing clinical and mechanistic data for selected probiotics.
- Focus on specific examples: VSL#3, E. coli Nissle 1917, LGG, L. reuteri, and S. boulardii.
- Analysis of shared probiotic mechanisms and strain-specific actions.
Main Results:
- Probiotics exert anti-inflammatory effects.
- They antagonize competing microorganisms through various strategies.
- Probiotics enhance host barrier function and upregulate cytoprotective proteins.
Conclusions:
- Probiotic benefits are strain-specific, with diverse mechanisms of action.
- Common features include anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects.
- Safety is a critical consideration for probiotic use.
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