Probiotics against enteric infections. Mechanisms of action and experimental evidence

CASTILLO, NATALIA; MALDONADO GALDEANO, CAROLINA; PERDIGÓN, GABRIELA.

Probiotics: sursces. type and health benefits

Nova Science Publishers

Año: 2012; p. 1 - 18

Probiotics have been demonstrated to have multiple beneficial effects for human health, principally in the prevention of infectious diseases and food allergies, reduction of serum cholesterol, promotion of anticarcinogenic activity, and enhancement of systemic and mucosal immunity. At the gut level, some of the benefits exerted by probiotics are: ·         Maintenance of a beneficial balance of the intestinal microbiota. ·         Reinforcement of the intestinal barrier. ·         Antimicrobial effect against enteric pathogens. ·         Modulation of the mucosal immune system. All of these properties are correlated with the effect of probiotics against enteric infections. In this chapter, we will first describe the ways by which diverse probiotic strains interact with intestinal epithelial and immune cells in the inductor sites of the immune response at the gut level, to stimulate the mucosal immune system in healthy hosts. Then we will illustrate the different modes of action by which probiotics can prevent or alleviate enteric infections trough immune and non-immune mechanisms, funding our claims in the experimental evidence of the complex network of interactions between probiotics, enteric pathogens, intestinal epithelial cells and the mucosal immune system.