Volume 23 • Issue 01 • 2019
Probiotic Species in the Modulation of
Gut Microbiota: An Overview
Open Source: Hindawi, BioMed Research International, Volume 2018, Article ID 9478630, 8 pages,
https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/9478630
Md. Abul Kalam Azad , 1,2 Manobendro Sarker, 3 Tiejun Li , 1 and Jie Yin 1,2
1 Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production,
Changsha, Hunan 410125, China
2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
3 Department of Food Engineering and Technology, State University of Bangladesh, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
Probiotics are microbial strains that are beneficial to health, and their potential has recently led to a significant
increase in research interest in their use to modulate the gut microbiota. The animal gut is a complex ecosystem
of host cells, microbiota, and available nutrients, and the microbiota prevents several degenerative diseases in
humans and animals via immunomodulation. The gut microbiota and its influence on human nutrition, metabolism,
physiology, and immunity are addressed, and several probiotic species and strains are discussed to improve the
understanding of modulation of gut microbiota. This paper provides a broad review of several Lactobacillus spp.,
Bifidobacterium spp., and other coliform bacteria as the most promising probiotic species and their role in the
prevention of degenerative diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, malignancy, liver
disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. This review also discusses a recent study of Saccharomyces spp. in which
infammation was prevented by promotion of proinflammatory immune function via the production of short-chain
fatty acids. A summary of gut microbiota alteration with future perspectives is also provided.
1. Introduction
Alteration of the gut microbiota with probiotic
species is very prominent in human and animal
disease treatment. The potential of probiotic
species has recently motivated researchers to
examine the production of probiotic foods and the
modulation of the gut microbiota. The importance
of consumption of probiotic foods with a specific
mix of bacteria has been widely studied since
the beginning of the 20th century, and yogurt
has drawn attention to maintaining good health
via development of the digestive system and the
prevention of various degenerative diseases [1–
3].
The word “probiotic” comes from Greek and means
“for life.” In 1954, Ferdinand Vergin conceived the
term “probiotic” in an article entitled “Antibiotika
und Probiotika,” in which several microorganisms
were studied to make a list of useful bacteria
and to determine the detrimental effects of
antibacterial agents and antibiotics on the
intestinal microbiota [4]. A few years later, Lilly
and Stillwell described probiotics as beneficial
microorganisms that exert growth-promoting
factors for other microorganisms [5]. The term
“probiotics” has been modifed over time and with
research into their application and clinical trials
in various human and animal models. According
to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
and the World Health Organization (WHO),
probiotics are live strains of microorganisms
that confer health benefits upon the host when
administrated in adequate amounts [6], and this
definition is followed by the International Scientifc
Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP)
[7, 8]. However, researchers continue to develop
new probiotic species, even though probiotic
species have long been used for human health
improvement. Most probiotic products today are
developed with Bifdobacteria, Lactobacilli, and
other lactic acid bacteria, such as Lactococci and
Streptococci. Other promising probiotic strains
include the bacterial genera Bacillus, Escherichia,
and Propionibacterium and some other yeast
genera, mainly Saccharomyces. Probiotics are
usually considered to be safe for human health
with limited adverse effects [9]. Several species
and strains of Lactobacilli, including Lactobacillus
acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus
rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus helveticus, have
been extensively studied in the prevention of
human and animal diseases. These probiotic
species are able to change the population of
microorganisms in the gut microbiota and
control the functioning of the ecosystem of gut
microbiota.
In earlier studies, considerable evidence of
clinical trials of probiotics in animal and human
models has reported suitability for the treatment
of a variety of diseases, and this number continues
to grow. The human gut is a complex ecosystem
in which nutrients, the microbiota, and host cells
interact extensively. The relationships between
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