Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) synthesize exopolysaccharides (EPS), which are structurally diverse biopolymers with a broad range of technological properties and bioactivities. There is scientific evidence that these polymers have health-promoting properties. Most commercialized probiotic microorganisms for consumption by humans and farmed animals are LAB and some of them are EPS-producers indicating that some of their beneficial properties could be due to these polymers. Probiotic LAB are currently used to improve human health and for the prevention and treatment of specific pathologic conditions. They are also used in food-producing animal husbandry, mainly due to their abilities to promote growth and inhibit pathogens via different mechanisms, among which the production of EPS could be involved. Thus, the aim of this review is to discuss the current knowledge of the characteristics, usage and biological role of EPS from LAB, as well as their postbiotic action in humans and animals, and to predict the future contribution that they could have on the diet of food animals to improve productivity, animal health status and impact on public health.

Bacterial β-glucans are exopolysaccharides (EPSs), which can protect bacteria or cooperate in biofilm formation or in bacterial cell adhesion. Pediococcus parvulus 2.6 is a lactic acid bacterium that produces an O-2-substituted (1-3)-β-D-glucan. The structural similarity of this EPS to active compounds such as laminarin, together with its ability to modulate the immune system and to adhere in vitro to human enterocytes, led us to investigate, in comparison with laminarin, its potential as an immunomodulator of in vitro co-cultured Caco-2 and PMA-THP-1 cells. O-2-substituted (1-3)-β-D-glucan synthesized by the GTF glycosyl transferase of Pediococcus parvulus 2.6 or that by Lactococcus lactis NZ9000[pGTF] were purified and used in this study. The XTT tests revealed that all β-glucans were non-toxic for both cell lines and activated PMA-THP-1 cells’ metabolisms. The O-2-substituted (1-3)-β-D-glucan modulated production and expression of IL-8 and the IL-10 in Caco-2 and PMA-THP-1 cells. Laminarin also modulated cytokine production by diminishing TNF-α in Caco-2 cells and IL-8 in PMA-THP-1. All these features could be considered with the aim to produce function foods, supplemented with laminarin or with another novel β-glucan-producing strain, in order to ameliorate an individual’s immune system response toward pathogens or to control mild side effects in remission patients affected by inflammatory bowel diseases.

Objetivo: realizar a tradução, adaptação cultural e validação do instrumento “Instrumento de Autoavaliação em Diabetes” para aplicação no contexto brasileiro. Métodos: estudo metodológico realizado com 132 profissionais, entre os anos de 2016 e 2018, em seis etapas: 1- Tradução inicial; 2- Síntese da tradução; 3- Retrotradução (back-translation); 4- Avaliação pelo comitê de juízes; 5- Adequação cultural (pré-teste); 6- Reprodutibilidade. Houve participação de profissionais de equipes multiprofissionais envolvidas no tratamento do diabetes, por meio da plataforma e-surv. Resultados: entre os participantes, predominaram o sexo feminino (73,5%), profissionais com especialização (pós-graduação Lato Sensu) (51,5%) e com experiência na assistência a pessoas com diabetes (84,4%). O Índice de Validade de Conteúdo (IVC) foi satisfatório (média de 0,850). O instrumento apresentou boa consistência interna (Alfa de Cronbach=0,878). A análise de confiabilidade do instrumento, realizada pelo cálculo do coeficiente de correlação intraclasse (CCI), indicou concordância adequada em todas as medidas, 0,878 (IC 95%: 0,864 – 0,891), com Kappa Ponderado médio de 0,714 e índices acima de 0,60 em 85% os itens, mostrando boa concordância teste e reteste. Conclusão: a versão traduzida e adaptada culturalmente do Instrumento de Autoavaliação em Diabetes apresentou boa confiabilidade, aceitabilidade e estabilidade temporal satisfatórias conforme os parâmetros internacionais, podendo ser utilizada para autoavaliação em diabetes pelos profissionais da saúde.

Many lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Bifidobacteria are beneficial components of human, animal, foods, and beverage microbiota [...]