Prebiotic administration reduce intestinal and, possibly, respiratory infections in healthy infants during the first year of age.

ABSTRACT:To examine whether long-term consumption of fermented milk containing a specific Lactobacillus casei may improve the health status of preschool children suffering from allergic asthma and/or rhinitis a randomized, prospective, double blind, controlled trial was conducted in 187 children 2-5 y of age. The children received for 12 mo either fermented milk (100 mL) containing Lactobacillus casei (10 8 cfu/mL) or placebo. The time free from and the number of episodes of asthma/rhinitis after starting intervention were the outcome measures. The number of fever or diarrhea episodes and the change in serum immunoglobulin were further assessed. No statistical difference between intervention and control group occurred in asthmatic children. In children with rhinitis, the annual number of rhinitis episodes was lower in the intervention group, mean difference (95% CI), Ϫ1.6 (Ϫ3.15 to Ϫ0.05); the mean duration of an episode of diarrhea was lower in the intervention group, mean difference Ϫ0.81 (Ϫ1.52 to Ϫ0.10) days. While longterm consumption of fermented milk containing Lactobacillus casei may improve the health status of children with allergic rhinitis no effect was found in asthmatic children.

a b s t r a c tThe intestinal microbiota is an ecosystem formed by a variety of ecological niches, made of several bacterial species and a very large amount of strains. The microbiota is in close contact with the intestinal mucosa or epithelial interface which is, after the respiratory area, the largest surface of the body, occupying approximately 250-400 m 2 . The physiological activities of the microbiota are manifold and are just being unraveled. Based on the observations of the multiple roles played by the microbiota in health and disease, the notion of modifying it with appropriate formulations, i.e. probiotics, is being tested in several settings.This review summarizes the current knowledge on probiotics and discusses both limitations and acquired evidence to support their use in preventive and therapeutic medicine.