Advances in the design and uses of lactic acid bacteria as probiotics in the urogenital and respiratory tracts

M.E. FÁTIMA NADER-MACIAS; SUSANA ALVAREZ; CLARA SILVA DE RUIZ; MARCELA MEDINA; MARIA SILVINA JUAREZ TOMAS

Biotechnology of Lactic Acid Bacteria: Novel Applications

Wiley-Blackwell

Lugar: Ames-Iowa; Año: 2008; p. 1 - 59

During the last decades there has been an explosion on the number of papers and applications of probiotic microorganisms, mainly in the gastrointestinal tract, both of humans and animals. But, more recently, and originated by the need of strategies to increase or maintain the “high quality of life” parameters, the concept of probiotic is spreading to a very diverse areas of application. Some of these areas are the urogenital and respiratory tracts, where the use of probiotics is being studied for the prevention of infections, and to improve the health status of the host. The urogenital (some sexually transmitted) and the respiratory infections are included into the most frequent causes of morbidity at different age populations, mainly in under-developed countries. In the present chapter, an update of the last advances in both fields are reviewed, and also the suggested mechanisms of action, to increase the understanding of how the probiotic products can act. The revision is performed on the “in vitro” experiments, those performed in “in vivo” or animal experimental models, and also the small amount of clinical evidences of the probiotic effect both in humans and animals. Some technological properties are also discussed directed to the design of foods or pharmaceutical products containing probiotic microorganisms.