INTRODUCTION• Microbes or micro-organisms: Found every where on earth. They are incredibly diverse.

• Microbes are best known for their role in causing disease, but their power has also been harnessed for millennia to the benefit of humankind.

• We have about 10 trillion human cells in our body and around 100 trillion microbial cells

• Virtually every surface of the human body starting from the skin surface to the genitourinary tract is colonized heavily by various species of bacteria .

• By far, the most heavily colonized organ is the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) which houses a huge microbial ecosystem; the colon alone is estimated to contain over 70% of all the microbes in the human body

.• The gut micro biota or micro flora has a crucial role inhuman health and

disease.

• Over the past 30 years or more, interest in the gut microbial population – the micro biota – and its environment has intensified.

Probiotics – the concept• Probiotics are live microorganisms that are intended to have health

benefits

• The term Probiotics means "for life" and is currently used to name bacteria associated with beneficial effects for humans and animals.

•  Probiotics in the form of bacteria and yeast are found naturally within the digestive tract, but may also be ingested as a dietary supplement.

• Probiotics come in a variety of strains.

• Probiotics are often referred to as "friendly" or "helpful" bacteria.

• Probiotic supplement is thought to help to populate the digestive tract with these "good bacteria" - promoting digestive health and enhancing the immune system

History of probiotics• The concept behind probiotics was introduced in the early 20th

century, when Nobel laureate Elie Metchnikoff, known as the “father of probiotics,” proposed that consuming beneficial microorganisms could improve people’s health.’ The scientific rationale for the health benefit of the probiotic bacteria was provided in his book “ the prolongation of life” in 1907.

• Parker coined the term “probiotics” and defined it as ‘ organisms and substances which contribute to intestinal microbial balance’.

• Fuller in 1989 redefined them as live microbial feed supplements which beneficially affect the host animal by improving its intestinal microbial balance.

Microbes in probiotics• Probiotics may contain a variety of

microorganisms. • The most common are bacteria that

belong to groups Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Each of these two broad groups includes many types of bacteria.

• Other bacteria may also be used as probiotics, and so may yeasts such as Saccharomyces boulardii

Continued..• BACTERIAL CULTURES:Lactobacilus species: Streptococcus spp..: YEASTL. acidophilus S. cremoris Asperagillus oryzaeL. casei S. faecium Saccharomyces cervisiaeL. delbreuki S. diacetylactis Saccharomyces boulardiiL. brevis S. lactisL. cellobiosusL. curvatus Bifidobacterium spp:L. fermentum B. bifidumL. lactics B. adolescentisL. plantarum B. animalisL. reuterii B. infantis B. longum B. thermophilum

Available forms• One of the best sources of probiotics is

yogurt. It has good bacteria like lactobacillus or bifidobacteria.

• Other good food sources are sauerkraut, miso soup, soft cheeses, and even sourdough bread. The common feature of all these foods is fermentation, a process that produces probiotics

Commercial forms

• They are available in the form of oral pastes, water dispensable powders or liquids(mixed with foods or liquid and consumed).

• Capsule forms • Pearl form - small round pills – probioticpearls• Some companies develop thermo positive

process to formulate microbial cultures and are available as pelleted feeds ( recovery rate of microbes as pellets is 95%) e.g. Primlac DFM(direct fed microbe).

Characteristics of effective probiotics

• Able to survive the passage through the digestive tract.

• Able to adhere through the intestinal epithelia to colonize

• Able to maintain good viability• Able to utilize the nutrients and substrates in normal

diet• Non pathogenic and non –toxic• Capable of exerting beneficial effect on the host• Should be durable enough to withstand duress of

commercial manufacturing processing and distribution

Benefits of probiotics• Immune system • Maintain optimal health and wellness. • Provide a natural defence or immune

system for body. • Prevent growth of harmful bacteria.

• Strengthens immune system towards allergies and other autoimmune diseases. • Help the body to produce vitamins.

continued• Digestive system

• Support healthy digestion.• Increase defecation and reduce constipation.• Help control the illness-causing bacteria in your intestinal tract.• Reduce the effects of Candida infection.• Improve digestion of lactose, especially for you who are lactose- intolerant.• Reducing your cholesterol level.• Reducing blood pressure.• Improving your body’s absorption of minerals, especially calcium.• Decreasing dental-caries-causing microbes in your mouth.

Continued..• Probiotics To Prevent Disease

• Cure vaginal yeast infections.• Urinary tract infections.• Prevent diarrhea after having treatment with certain antibiotics.• Prevent diarrhea caused by virus or Salmonella.• Manage the signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).• Strengthen the immune system to combat allergies and other immune diseases.• Reduce amounts of cancer-causing substances in your intestine.• Reduce the effects of a Candida infection.• Prevent and/or reduce colon cancer.• Reduce the development of allergy in your children.• Reduce infections and inflammation.• Fighting eczema

Role of GI tract microbiota in human health and disease

• The gut microbiota plays a very crucial role in human health

• Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) starts from stomach till anus.

• Colon – site for bacterial colonization• In GI tract there are more molecules

present which triggers the growth of microbes (beneficial & harmful)

Intestinal environmental changes

• Changes in the intestinal environment – illness• Occurrence of gut dysbiosis should be reviewed • Healthy microflora gets imbalanced • IMBALANCED GUT FLORA indicates ---- inflammatory bowel disease ---- antibiotic associated diarrhea ---- colon cancer ---- hypercholesterolemia

How gut microbiota supports gi health

• Gut microbiota contains - commensals and transient species

• Microbial energy source –fermentation• I part of colon – fermentation of dietary supplements

and endogenous residues• Fermentation products – SCFA (small chain fatty

acids), propionic acids, butyric acid• SCFA –enhances uptake of water, host energy source• BUTYRIC ACID- cell growth and differentiation

( epithelial cells lining the colon)• Hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane – equilibrium of

the microbiota

GI Epithelial barrier and immune health

• GI body’s largest immune system• GALT – limits the passage of pathogens in several

ways• The integrity of the epithelial lining which forms

the layer around the intestine has to be maintained

• Integrity is maintained by mucin secreted by goblet cells

• When the integrity of this mucin (mucosal lining) is compromised these microbiota of GI adhere to epithelial lining and competes with the pathogen

Considerations on probiotics• With the exception of one strain belonging to the Lactobacillus

rhamnosus species, lactobacilli and bifidobacteria used for food production are "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration of the USA.

• Probiotics should not be given to children who are seriously or chronically ill until the safety of administration has been established.

• Positive influence shown with a particularly probiotic may not always be repeatable. other similar experiments and the influence will be more pronounced in stressful condition

• It is highly advisable to adhere to adhere to storage recommendations for the maintenance of the stability of the probiotics.

PREBIOTICS• Proposed first by GIBSON & ROBERFORD in 1995

• They promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in gut

• In simple terms “ they are food ingredients which are indigestible in the upper GI tract and reach the colon to beneficially influence the host by selectively promoting the growth or activity of certain bacteria in the colon

• The exact definition for prebiotics was given in the year 2010 by ISAPP(international scientific association for probiotics and prebiotics) as “ a selectively fermented ingredient that allows specific changes both in the composition and/or activity in the gastrointestinal microflora that confers benefits upon the host well being and health

Characteristics of a good prebiotic

• Should be neither hydrolyzed nor absorbed in the upper part of the GIT

• Should be a selective substrate for one or limited number of bacteria commensals to caecum/colon, which are stimulated to grow or metabolically activated.

• Able to alter the colonic flora in favor of a healthier composition.

• Induce systemic effects that are beneficial to the host’s health

• Should have known structure which can be documented• Should be palatable as food ingredient and large scale processing

must be easy.

Prebiotic sources• Many fruits and vegetables act as prebiotic

sources like onion, banana etc but the level of prebiotics present in them are low

• These prebiotics are commercially extracted from their natural sources and also synthetically produced

• Currently known prebiotics are mostly CARBOHYDRATES – mixture of indigestible oligosaccharides

Types of prebiotics• Currently known probiotic in market supported good

quality data for human trails• PREBIOTICS CANDIDATE PREBIOTIC• Inulins 1. lactulose• Fructo-oligosaccharides 2. resistant dextrins• Galacto oligosaccharides 3. polydextrose

4. arabinoxylans 5. isomalt

INULIN• A linear β-fructan moiety• Storage carbohydrate• Occurrence : 36,000 plants – chicory root, burdock

root, dandelion root, apples, bananas, onion,garlic etc..

• Commercial synthesis: Jerusalem artichokes and chicory root

• Benefits: Increases the population of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium

• Promotes optimal digestive health• Decreases the risk of osteoporosis by calcium

absorption

reference• ILSI EUROPE MONOGRAPH SERIES ON PREBIOTICS AND PROBIOTICS BY NINO BINS• ARTICLE: PREBIOTICS AND PROBIOTICS BY GEORGE T MACFARLANE – MEDICL RESEARCH

COUNCIL, CAMBRIDGE• PRO AND PREBIOTICS BY MARCCEL B ROBERFORD• REVIEW ARTICLE: PREBIOTICS AND PROBIOTICS BY WORLD GASTROENTEROLOGY

ORGANIZATION GLOBAL GUIDELINES• PRO AND PREBIOTCS BY BRUNO BIAVATI• www.webmed.com• https://nccih.nih.gov/health/probiotics/intro.html• www.prebiotin.com• www.authorstream.com• Longeivity.about.com• www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com• www.huffingtonspot.com• http://www.weightwatchers.com• http://eatright.org

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