Health benefits and health claims of probiotics: bridging science and marketing
14 Nov 2011-British Journal of Nutrition (Cambridge University Press)-Vol. 106, Iss: 9, pp 1291-1296
TL;DR: An open dialogue between basic and clinical scientists, regulatory authorities, food and nutrition industry, and consumers could bridge the gap between science and marketing of probiotics.
Abstract: Health claims for probiotics are evaluated by the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies of the European Food Safety Authority. Despite a substantial amount of basic and clinical research on the beneficial effects of probiotics, all of the evaluated claim applications thus far have received a negative opinion. With the restrictions on the use of clinical endpoints, validated biomarkers for gut health and immune health in relation to reduction in disease risk are needed. Clear-cut criteria for design as well as evaluation of future studies are needed. An open dialogue between basic and clinical scientists, regulatory authorities, food and nutrition industry, and consumers could bridge the gap between science and marketing of probiotics.
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors assess the strategic responses to health claims legislation and implementation by multiple stakeholders with seemingly complementary wishes, but also controversial expectations: especially consumers, companies and public authorities.
Abstract: Stakeholder groups have different interests in health claims which may be complementary but also conflicting. It is not clear on beforehand, how managers should deal with legal requirements on claims. Nor is it clear how legal authorities can adjust the present claims regime to address market, consumer, company and normative requirements. This article aims to assess the strategic responses to health claims legislation and implementation by multiple stakeholders with seemingly complementary wishes, but also controversial expectations: especially consumers, companies and public authorities. A multidisciplinary approach is carried out, using insights from food technological and medical, economic, legal and managerial sciences. The EU-claims regime and the responses of multiple stakeholder groups are investigated using available research supplemented with case studies of probiotics and botanicals. The system is evaluated within the context of the structure of food law and the legitimate rights and obligations of stakeholders in food supply chains and networks. The main finding is that the costs and uncertainties attached to health claims are important factors impacting the innovation efforts of companies, the willingness-to-pay of consumers and the effectiveness of public policy. A dialogue between stakeholders and adjustment of the present legal system from a regime-based to a product-based approach is suggested to reduce the perceived uncertainties and to be able to provide food information in an effective and less risky way.
17 citations
Cites background from "Health benefits and health claims o..."
...Authorisation decisions of claims take therefore place on a case-by-case basis (Rijkers et al., 2011)....
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TL;DR: The molecular profile of the fecal microbiota of healthy adults is not disturbed by commercial probiotic yogurt consumption despite a strong presence of the probiotic strains.
16 citations
Cites background from "Health benefits and health claims o..."
...Since the primary concern of these organisms is the consumer, the product impact must be thoroughly documented by clinical studies and the observed effects have to be extrapolated to the general population [7]....
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...Probiotics are currently undergoing regulatory pressure to validate the claims regarding their health benefits [6,7]....
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...One of the hurdles for obtaining health claims is the extrapolation of clinical results to the general population [7]....
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...Recently, regulatory organisms in many countries have been evaluating probiotic health claims [6,7]....
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TL;DR: The combination of diet, lifestyle, and exposure to food obesogens categorized into microbiota disrupting chemicals (MDC) could determine obesogenic-related dysbiosis and modify the microbiota diversity that impacts on individual health-disease balances, inducing altered pathogenesis phenotypes.
Abstract: The combination of diet, lifestyle, and the exposure to food obesogens categorized into “microbiota disrupting chemicals” (MDC) could determine obesogenic-related dysbiosis and modify the microbiota diversity that impacts on individual health–disease balances, inducing altered pathogenesis phenotypes. Specific, complementary, and combined treatments are needed to face these altered microbial patterns and the specific misbalances triggered. In this sense, searching for next-generation beneficial microbes or next-generation probiotics (NGP) by microbiota culturing, and focusing on their demonstrated, extensive scope and well-defined functions could contribute to counteracting and repairing the effects of obesogens. Therefore, this review presents a perspective through compiling information and key strategies for directed searching and culturing of NGP that could be administered for obesity and endocrine-related dysbiosis by (i) observing the differential abundance of specific microbiota taxa in obesity-related patients and analyzing their functional roles, (ii) developing microbiota-directed strategies for culturing these taxa groups, and (iii) applying the successful compiled criteria from recent NGP clinical studies. New isolated or cultivable microorganisms from healthy gut microbiota specifically related to obesogens’ neutralization effects might be used as an NGP single strain or in consortia, both presenting functions and the ability to palliate metabolic-related disorders. Identification of holistic approaches for searching and using potential NGP, key aspects, the bias, gaps, and proposals of solutions are also considered in this review.
16 citations
TL;DR: Treatment with rifaximin alone and rifaxIMin plus probiotics exhibited a different effect in different MHE patients, decreasing the overall gut microbiota diversity to various extents and reshaping microbiota in different ways.
Abstract: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is caused by dysbiosis of gut microbiota, particularly the ammonia-producing bacteria. Given the efficacy of certain treatments on MHE and the connection between alcoholism and MHE, a thorough understanding of how these strategies affect the gut microbiota in patients (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) will facilitate the assessment of their efficacy in the reshaping of gut microbiota. In the present study, a metagenomics approach was adopted to reveal alterations in gut microbiota of 14 MHE patients following treatment with rifaximin alone or rifaximin plus probiotics. Patients were grouped into the alcoholic and non-alcoholic groups to examine differences in terms of their response to treatment. Treatment reduced the overall microbiota diversity and decreased the abundance of certain ammonia-producing bacteria, such as Clostridium, with the treatment of rifaximin plus probiotics presenting a more apparent effect. Non-alcoholic MHE patients responded better to the treatment, as they presented greater reduction in microbiota diversity and a more consistent decline in certain ammonia-producing bacteria genera (such as Clostridium and Streptococcus) belonging to the Firmicutes phylum. In conclusion, treatment with rifaximin alone and rifaximin plus probiotics exhibited a different effect in different MHE patients, decreasing the overall gut microbiota diversity to various extents and reshaping microbiota in different ways. Furthermore, non-alcoholic MHE patients responded better to treatment in microbiota alterations.
16 citations
Cites background from "Health benefits and health claims o..."
...Probiotics, which are microorganisms considered to be beneficial for a more balanced microorganism distribution in the gut when consumed, may account for this disparity (23)....
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09 Mar 2021
TL;DR: In this paper, the functional capacities of 21 strains isolated from the gut microbiota of neonates and adults were evaluated to identify potential health-promoting functions among intestinal commensal strains and identified several appealing novel candidates for the management of chronic diseases, notably obesity and inflammatory bowel diseases.
Abstract: The role of the gut microbiota in health and disease is well recognized and the microbiota dysbiosis observed in many chronic diseases became a new therapeutic target. The challenge is to get a better insight into the functionality of commensal bacteria and to use this knowledge to select live biotherapeutics as new preventive or therapeutic products. In this study, we set up a screening approach to evaluate the functional capacities of a set of 21 strains isolated from the gut microbiota of neonates and adults. For this purpose, we selected key biological processes involved in the microbiome-host symbiosis and known to impact the host physiology i.e., the production of short-chain fatty acids and the ability to strengthen an epithelial barrier (Caco-2), to induce the release of the anti-inflammatory IL-10 cytokine after co-culture with human immune cells (PBMC) or to increase GLP-1 production from STC-1 endocrine cell line. This strategy highlighted fifteen strains exhibiting beneficial activities among which seven strains combined several of them. Interestingly, this work revealed for the first time a high prevalence of potential health-promoting functions among intestinal commensal strains and identified several appealing novel candidates for the management of chronic diseases, notably obesity and inflammatory bowel diseases.
16 citations
References
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TL;DR: The Illumina-based metagenomic sequencing, assembly and characterization of 3.3 million non-redundant microbial genes, derived from 576.7 gigabases of sequence, from faecal samples of 124 European individuals are described, indicating that the entire cohort harbours between 1,000 and 1,150 prevalent bacterial species and each individual at least 160 such species.
Abstract: To understand the impact of gut microbes on human health and well-being it is crucial to assess their genetic potential. Here we describe the Illumina-based metagenomic sequencing, assembly and characterization of 3.3 million non-redundant microbial genes, derived from 576.7 gigabases of sequence, from faecal samples of 124 European individuals. The gene set, ~150 times larger than the human gene complement, contains an overwhelming majority of the prevalent (more frequent) microbial genes of the cohort and probably includes a large proportion of the prevalent human intestinal microbial genes. The genes are largely shared among individuals of the cohort. Over 99% of the genes are bacterial, indicating that the entire cohort harbours between 1,000 and 1,150 prevalent bacterial species and each individual at least 160 such species, which are also largely shared. We define and describe the minimal gut metagenome and the minimal gut bacterial genome in terms of functions present in all individuals and most bacteria, respectively
9,268 citations
"Health benefits and health claims o..." refers background in this paper
...For the fifty-seven most common bacterial species identified by metagenome sequence analysis in the human gut, the inter-individual variability of abundance is between 12- and 2187-fold((16))....
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...However, a clearly distinct composition of gut microbiota, both compared with healthy individuals and between the two diseases, is found in inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease)((16))....
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TL;DR: It is reported here that the prominent human symbiont Bacteroides fragilis protects animals from experimental colitis induced by Helicobacter hepaticus and that molecules of the bacterial microbiota can mediate the critical balance between health and disease.
Abstract: Humans are colonized by multitudes of commensal organisms representing members of five of the six kingdoms of life; however, our gastrointestinal tract provides residence to both beneficial and potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Imbalances in the composition of the bacterial microbiota, known as dysbiosis, are postulated to be a major factor in human disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease. We report here that the prominent human symbiont Bacteroides fragilis protects animals from experimental colitis induced by Helicobacter hepaticus, a commensal bacterium with pathogenic potential. This beneficial activity requires a single microbial molecule (polysaccharide A, PSA). In animals harbouring B. fragilis not expressing PSA, H. hepaticus colonization leads to disease and pro-inflammatory cytokine production in colonic tissues. Purified PSA administered to animals is required to suppress pro-inflammatory interleukin-17 production by intestinal immune cells and also inhibits in vitro reactions in cell cultures. Furthermore, PSA protects from inflammatory disease through a functional requirement for interleukin-10-producing CD4+ T cells. These results show that molecules of the bacterial microbiota can mediate the critical balance between health and disease. Harnessing the immunomodulatory capacity of symbiosis factors such as PSA might potentially provide therapeutics for human inflammatory disorders on the basis of entirely novel biological principles.
2,097 citations
"Health benefits and health claims o..." refers background in this paper
...In a series of landmark publications((7,19,20)), Dennis Kasper’s group has demonstrated that the capsular polysaccharide polysaccharide A of Bacteroides fragilis is indispensable for normal development of mucosal T lymphocytes and control of exper-...
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...Unfortunately, with a few exceptions((7,8)), the genes that determine or underlie the health benefit delivered by specific probiotic strains have not been identified to date....
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TL;DR: Evidence is provided for the fact that the ageing process deeply affects the structure of the human gut microbiota, as well as its homeostasis with the host's immune system, because of its crucial role in the host physiology and health status.
Abstract: Background: Age-related physiological changes in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as modifications in lifestyle, nutritional behaviour, and functionality of the host immune system, inevitably affect the gut microbiota, resulting in a greater susceptibility to infections. Methodology/Principal Findings: By using the Human Intestinal Tract Chip (HITChip) and quantitative PCR of 16S rRNA genes of Bacteria and Archaea, we explored the age-related differences in the gut microbiota composition among young adults, elderly, and centenarians, i.e subjects who reached the extreme limits of the human lifespan, living for over 100 years. We observed that the microbial composition and diversity of the gut ecosystem of young adults and seventy-years old people is highly similar but differs significantly from that of the centenarians. After 100 years of symbiotic association with the human host, the microbiota is characterized by a rearrangement in the Firmicutes population and an enrichment in facultative anaerobes, notably pathobionts. The presence of such a compromised microbiota in the centenarians is associated with an increased inflammatory status, also known as inflammageing, as determined by a range of peripheral blood inflammatory markers. This may be explained by a remodelling of the centenarians’ microbiota, with a marked decrease in Faecalibacterium prauznitzii and relatives, symbiotic species with reported anti-inflammatory properties. As signature bacteria of the long life we identified specifically Eubacterium limosum and relatives that were more than ten-fold increased in the centenarians. Conclusions/Significance: We provide evidence for the fact that the ageing process deeply affects the structure of the human gut microbiota, as well as its homeostasis with the host’s immune system. Because of its crucial role in the host physiology and health status, age-related differences in the gut microbiota composition may be related to the progression of diseases and frailty in the elderly population.
1,180 citations
"Health benefits and health claims o..." refers background in this paper
...Moreover, the intestinal microbiota also changes in time as was illustrated recently in a study, in which age groups up to 100 years were compared((17))....
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TL;DR: The nonclassic actions of vitamin D are cell specific and provide a number of potential new clinical applications for 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) and its analogs, however, the use ofitamin D metabolites and analogs for these applications remains limited by the classic actions of Vitamin D leading to hypercalcemia and hypercalcuria.
Abstract: Context: Vitamin D receptors are found in most tissues, not just those participating in the classic actions of vitamin D such as bone, gut, and kidney. These nonclassic tissues are therefore potential targets for the active metabolite of vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2D. Furthermore, many of these tissues also contain the enzyme CYP27B1 capable of producing 1,25(OH)2D from the circulating form of vitamin D. This review was intended to highlight the actions of 1,25(OH)2D in several of these tissues but starts with a review of vitamin D production, metabolism, and molecular mechanism. Evidence Acquisition: Medline was searched for articles describing actions of 1,25(OH)2D on parathyroid hormone and insulin secretion, immune responses, keratinocytes, and cancer. Evidence Synthesis: Vitamin D production in the skin provides an efficient source of vitamin D. Subsequent metabolism to 1,25(OH)2D within nonrenal tissues differs from that in the kidney. Although vitamin D receptor mediates the actions of 1,25(OH)2D, regulati...
882 citations
TL;DR: This Review highlights the documented signalling interactions of the surface molecules of probiotic bacteria (such as long surface appendages, polysaccharides and lipoteichoic acids) with PRRs with respect to host pattern recognition receptors of the gastrointestinal mucosa.
Abstract: Interactions between host cell receptors and the surface molecules of bacteria are important determinants of the nature of the relationship between the two organisms. In this Review, Lebeer, Vanderleyden and De Keersmaecker examine the signalling interactions of probiotic bacterial cell surface molecules. How can probiotic bacteria transduce their health benefits to the host? Bacterial cell surface macromolecules are key factors in this beneficial microorganism–host crosstalk, as they can interact with host pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) of the gastrointestinal mucosa. In this Review, we highlight the documented signalling interactions of the surface molecules of probiotic bacteria (such as long surface appendages, polysaccharides and lipoteichoic acids) with PRRs. Research on host–probiotic interactions can benefit from well-documented host–microorganism studies that span the spectrum from pathogenicity to mutualism. Distinctions and parallels are therefore drawn with the interactions of similar molecules that are presented by gastrointestinal commensals and pathogens.
852 citations
"Health benefits and health claims o..." refers background in this paper
...For a number of strains, it has been demonstrated now that the probiotic bacteria can bind to receptors on cells of the immune system including dendritic cells((27))....
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