The front cover artwork is provided by Mrs. Zehava Cohen from the graphical unit of the Hebrew University based on the idea of Mr. Omer Agazani and Prof. Meital Reches. The image shows the structure ...of L‐3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) in a “prebiotic environment”. We demonstrate the possibility that DOPA, an individual amino acid, could act as a prebiotic catalyst. Read the full text of the Communication at 10.1002/syst.202100005.
“Better understanding how reactions have been catalyzed in the prebiotic world is important for better realizing how enzymes have evolved. By tracing the hydrolysis of two compounds, p‐nitrophenylacetate and acetylcholine, the individual amino acid L‐3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) is demonstrated to act as a catalyst. DOPA may have played a role in the prebiotic world as part of prebiotic catalysts…” This and more about the story behind the front cover can be found in the Communication at 10.1002/syst.202100005.
The development of a suitable technology for the production of probiotics is a key research for industrial production, which should take into account the viability and the stability of the organisms ...involved. Microbial criteria, stress tolerance during processing, and storage of the product constitute the basis for the production of probiotics. Generally, the bacteria belonging to the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium have been used as probiotics. Based on their positive qualities, probiotic bacteria are widely used in the production of food. Interest in the incorporation of the probiotic bacteria into other products apart from dairy products has been increasing and represents a great challenge. The recognition of dose delivery systems for probiotic bacteria has also resulted in research efforts aimed at developing probiotic food outside the dairy sector. Producing probiotic juices has been considered more in the recent years, due to an increased concern in personal health of consumers. This review focuses on probiotics, prebiotics, and the microencapsulation of living cells.
Aims
The concept of using specific dietary components to selectively modulate the gut microbiota to confer a health benefit, defined as prebiotics, originated in 1995. In 2018, a group of scientists ...met at the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics annual meeting in Singapore to discuss advances in the prebiotic field, focussing on issues affecting functionality, research methodology and geographical differences.
Methods and Results
The discussion ranged from examining scientific literature supporting the efficacy of established prebiotics, to the prospects for establishing health benefits associated with novel compounds, isolated from different sources.
Conclusions
While many promising candidate prebiotics from across the globe have been highlighted in preliminary research, there are a limited number with both demonstrated mechanism of action and defined health benefits as required to meet the prebiotic definition. Prebiotics are part of a food industry with increasing market sales, yet there are great disparities in regulations in different countries. Identification and commercialization of new prebiotics with unique health benefits means that regulation must improve and remain up‐to‐date so as not to risk stifling research with potential health benefits for humans and other animals.
Significance and Impact of Study
This summary of the workshop discussions indicates potential avenues for expanding the range of prebiotic substrates, delivery methods to enhance health benefits for the end consumer and guidance to better elucidate their activities in human studies.
Summary
Background
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional bowel disorder. Disturbances in the gastrointestinal microbiome may be involved in its aetiology.
Aim
To perform a systematic ...review and meta‐analysis to examine the efficacy of prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics and antibiotics in IBS.
Methods
MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register were searched (up to July 2017). Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) recruiting adults with IBS, comparing prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics or antibiotics with placebo or no therapy were eligible. Dichotomous symptom data were pooled to obtain a relative risk (RR) of remaining symptomatic after therapy, with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Continuous data were pooled using a standardised mean difference with a 95% CI.
Results
The search identified 4017 citations. Data for prebiotics and synbiotics were sparse. Fifty‐three RCTs of probiotics, involving 5545 patients, were eligible. Particular combinations of probiotics, or specific species and strains, appeared to have beneficial effects on global IBS symptoms and abdominal pain, but it was not possible to draw definitive conclusions about their efficacy. There were five trials of similar design that used rifaximin in non‐constipated IBS patients, which was more effective than placebo (RR of symptoms persisting = 0.84; 95% CI 0.79‐0.90). Adverse events were no more common with probiotics or antibiotics.
Conclusions
Which particular combination, species or strains of probiotics are effective for IBS remains, for the most part, unclear. Rifaximin has modest efficacy in improving symptoms in non‐constipated IBS.
Iron-containing micronutrient powders (MNPs) reduce anaemia in African infants, but the current high iron dose (12.5 mg/day) may decrease gut
and
, and increase enteropathogens, diarrhoea and ...respiratory tract infections (RTIs). We evaluated the efficacy and safety of a new MNP formula with prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) combined with a low dose (5 mg/day) of highly bioavailable iron.
In a 4-month, controlled, double-blind trial, we randomised Kenyan infants aged 6.5-9.5 months (n=155) to receive daily (1) a MNP without iron (control); (2) the identical MNP but with 5 mg iron (2.5 mg as sodium iron ethylenediaminetetraacetate and 2.5 mg as ferrous fumarate) (Fe group); or (3) the identical MNP as the Fe group but with 7.5 g GOS (FeGOS group).
Anaemia decreased by ≈50% in the Fe and FeGOS groups (p<0.001). Compared with the control or FeGOS group, in the Fe group there were (1) lower abundances of
and
and higher abundances of
(p<0.01); (2) higher abundances of virulence and toxin genes (VTGs) of pathogens (p<0.01); (3) higher plasma intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (a biomarker of enterocyte damage) (p<0.05); and (4) a higher incidence of treated RTIs (p<0.05). In contrast, there were no significant differences in these variables comparing the control and FeGOS groups, with the exception that the abundance of VTGs of all pathogens was significantly lower in the FeGOS group compared with the control and Fe groups (p<0.01).
A MNP containing a low dose of highly bioavailable iron reduces anaemia, and the addition of GOS mitigates most of the adverse effects of iron on the gut microbiome and morbidity in African infants.
NCT02118402.
Antibiotics have been used for many years as growth promoters. They contribute to build the immunocompetence (i.e. ability of the body to produce a normal immune response following exposure to an ...antigen) of birds against infectious diseases and as growth promoters. Antibiotics have been widely used as growth promoters in the field of animal production since 1940s. There is a hypothesis that is effect is brought about by dynamic biological interaction with the micro-flora in the intestine. In 1951, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the use of antibiotics as animal additives to prevent disease in general and, in some cases, to improve efficiency without veterinary prescription. In the 1950s and 1960s, each European state approved its own national regulations about the use of antibiotics in animal feeds. However, using antibiotics may develop bacteria resistant to these drugs. Accordingly, the use of antibiotics has been minimized and replaced by effective dietary supplements such as probiotics and/or prebiotics that are claimed to enhance growth and positively modulate the immune response. The current review paper sheds light on the benefits of using probiotics and/or prebiotics in poultry feed versus the risk of using antibiotics and the mechanisms by which they exert their effects, as well as the economic analysis of using these beneficial additives in poultry feed.
Human gut microbiota plays an important role in several metabolic processes and human diseases. Various dietary factors, including complex carbohydrates, such as polysaccharides, provide abundant ...nutrients and substrates for microbial metabolism in the gut, affecting the members and their functionality. Nowadays, the main sources of complex carbohydrates destined for human consumption are terrestrial plants. However, fresh water is an increasingly scarce commodity and world agricultural productivity is in a persistent decline, thus demanding the exploration of other sources of complex carbohydrates. As an interesting option, marine seaweeds show rapid growth and do not require arable land, fresh water or fertilizers. The present review offers an objective perspective of the current knowledge surrounding the impacts of seaweeds and their derived polysaccharides on the human microbiome and the profound need for more in-depth investigations into this topic. Animal experiments and in vitro colonic-simulating trials investigating the effects of seaweed ingestion on human gut microbiota are discussed.
The prophylactic and adjunctive impacts of compound prebiotics (CP), comprising galacto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides, and isomalto-oligosaccharides, on colitis remain unclear. This study ...aimed to elucidate the effects of CP on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis via modulation of the gut microbiota. Mice received prophylactic CP (PCP) for three weeks and DSS in the second week. In the third week, therapeutic CP, mesalazine, and a combination of CP and mesalazine (CPM) were administered to mice with DSS-induced colitis. The administration of PCP and CPM was found to ameliorate colitis, as evidenced by increases in body weight and colon length, elevation of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, and reductions in the disease activity index, histological scores, and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in mice with DSS-induced colitis on days 14 or 21. Furthermore, an increase in the relative abundance of probiotics (Ligilactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Limosilactobacillus), alpha diversity indices, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) contents, and microbial network complexity was observed following PCP or CPM treatment. Correlation analysis revealed positive associations between these probiotics and both SCFA and IL-10, and negative associations with pro-inflammatory cytokines. This study highlighted the potential of CP as novel prophylactic and adjunctive treatments for alleviating DSS-induced intestinal inflammation and maintaining gut microbiota homeostasis.
The updated definition of prebiotic expands the range of potential applications in which emerging xylooligosaccharides (XOS) can be used. It has been demonstrated that XOS exhibit prebiotic effects ...at lower amounts compared to others, making them competitively priced prebiotics. As a result, the industry is focused on developing alternative approaches to improve processes efficiency that can meet the increasing demand while reducing costs. Recent advances have been made towards greener and more efficient processes, by applying process integration strategies to produce XOS from costless lignocellulosic residues and using genetic engineering to create microorganisms that convert these residues to XOS. In addition, collecting more in vivo data on their performance will be key to achieve regulatory claims, greatly increasing XOS commercial value.
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