Improvement of the probiotic effect of micro-organisms by their combination with maltodextrins, fructo-oligosaccharides and polyunsaturated fatty acids

Probiotics could represent an effective alternative to the use of synthetic substances in nutrition and medicine. The data concerning the efficacy of probiotics are often contradictory. This paper focuses on the enhancement of the efficacy of probiotics by their combination with synergistically acting components of natural origin. Maltodextrins can be obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of starch and are suitable for consumption. Administration of Lactobacillus paracasei together with maltodextrin decreased the number of Escherichia coli colonising the jejunal mucosa of gnotobiotic piglets by 1 logarithm compared to the control group. Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) are naturally occurring oligosaccharides, mainly of plant origin. L. paracasei administered in combination with FOS significantly increased counts of Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., total anaerobes and total aerobes compared to the control group as well as the L. paracasei group. It also significantly decreased Clostridium and Enterobacterium counts in the faeces of the weanling piglets compared with the control group. Dietary lipids influence the gastrointestinal microbiota and specifically the population of lactic acid bacteria. In gnotobiotic piglets the oral administration of an oil containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) significantly increased the number of L. paracasei adhering to jejunal mucosa compared to the control group. Our results showed that maltodextrin KMS X-70 and PUFA can be used to enhance the effect of probiotic micro-organisms in the small intestine, and similarly FOS enhance the effect of probiotic micro-organisms in the large intestine.

Potentiation of the effectiveness of Lactobacillus casei in the prevention of E. coli induced diarrhea in conventional and gnotobiotic pigs

The influence of preventive administration of Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei and maltodextrin KMS X-70 on Escherichia coli 08: K88 adhesion in the gastrointestinal tract of 11 conventional and 6 gnotobiotic piglets was investigated. The preventive administration of L. casei alone had almost no inhibitory effect on the adherence of E. coli to the jejunal mucosa of gnotobiotic and conventional piglets while the lactobacilli administered together with maltodextrin decreased the number of E. coli colonising jejunal mucosa of gnotobiotic piglets by 1 logarithm (4.95 log 10/cm2) in comparison with the control group (5.96 log 10/cm2). L. casei administered in combination with maltodextrin decreased the number of E. coli colonising the jejunum of conventional piglets by more than two and half logarithm (4.75 log 10/cm2, p < 0.05) in comparison with the control (7.42 log 10/cm2). The inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus casei and maltodextrin KMS X-70 on the adhesion of E. coli to the intestinal mucosa of conventional and gnotobiotic pigs was probably mediated by Lactobacillus--produced antibacterial substances and stimulation of immunity.

The effect of lactic acid bacteria on intestinal metabolism and metabolic profile in gnotobiotic pigs

The effect of inoculation of Lactobacillus casei on selected parameters of metabolic profile and intestinal metabolism of gnotobiotic piglets was investigated during the first three weeks of their life. The experiment was carried out on 8 germ-free piglets. The experimental group was inoculated once a day with the Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei strain. The inoculum contained 1 x 10(8) microorganisms in 1 ml. The control group of piglets received no inoculum. Lactobacillus casei colonized jejunum and ileum in the numbers from 5.63 to 6.06 log 10 cm-2 and their numbers in the jejunal and ileal contents were in the range 8.38-9.87 log 10.ml-1. The daily consumption of milk by the inoculated animals was significantly higher (p < 0.001). The average weight of inoculated piglets at the end of the period investigated was higher by 29.7%. Lactobacillus casei affected several parameters investigated. Piglets inoculated with lactobacilli showed significantly lower (p < 0.05-0.01) values of pH of the jejunal content, numbers of erythrocytes, values of haematocrit, urea, glucose, total lipids, cholesterol and calcium in the serum and significantly higher values (p < 0.05-0.01) of lactic acid in the jejunal content. The values of phagocytic activity and the index of phagocytic activity in the piglets of the experimental group were two to three-fold higher in comparison with those detected in the control group. The application of Lactobacillus casei affected positively the growth of gnotobiotic piglets, their intestinal metabolism, the level of cholesterol in the serum and phagocytic activity.

Colonization capability of orally administered Lactobacillus strains in the gut of gnotobiotic piglets

In the present study, the effect of Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei and Lactobacillus fermentum inoculation on jejunum and ileum colonization in gnotobiotic piglets has been observed. The characteristic features of the strains used were strong adherence to pig epithelial gut cells as well as inhibitory activity against enteropathogenic E. coli under in vitro conditions. Strains were inoculated to 2, 3, and 4 day old gnotobiotic piglets at a dose of 2 ml (1 x 10(8) germs/ml). On the second day after the last inoculation, Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei strain counts adhered to the jejunum mucosa and those adhered to the ileum mucosa were 4.54 log 10.cm-2 and 5.40 log 10.cm-2, respectively. Lactobacillus fermentum counts adhered to the jejunum mucosa and those adhered to the ileum mucosa were 5.73 log 10.cm-2 and 4.01 log 10.cm-2, respectively. On day 5 after the last inoculation, the counts in both strains were by one log higher. The results obtained point out to the fact that Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei and Lactobacillus fermentum colonized the mucosa of both jejunum and ileum and survived in the intestinal tract. The adherence of lactobacilli to gut cells in vitro correlated with their capability to adhere to the mucosa of both jejunum and ileum in vivo.