Cell-Free Whey from Milk Fermented with Bifidobacterium breve C50 Used to Modify the Colonic Microflora of Healthy Subjects

Abstract

The ingestion of viable bacteria is thought to be required to modify intestinal microflora. In the present study, the effects on fecal flora of consumption of cell-free concentrated whey from milk that had been fermented with Bifidobacterium breve C50 was tested using 10 healthy human volunteers. Results were compared with effects of a commercial milk formula that had been fermented with Streptococcus thermophilus and B. breve C50 and given to 10 control subjects. Nitroreductase and beta-glucuronidase activities were assessed as risk indexes for colon carcinogenesis, and beta-galactosidase was measured as an indicator of the fermentation capacity of the colonic flora. Fecal excretion of Bacteroides fragilis, Clostridium perfringens, and clostridial spores decreased after 7 d of consumption of either preparation; however, counts of bifidobacteria only increased after intake of B. breve whey. Fecal pH was reduced from 7.1 +/- 0.2 to 6.6 +/- 0.3 after intake of whey that had been fermented with Bif. breve. Fecal nitroreductase and beta-glucuronidase significantly decreased, and beta-galactosidase activity increased, after consumption of either preparation. The results indicate that ingestion of viable bifidobacteria was not required to modify intestinal flora of humans. Repression of B. fragilis and clostridia seems to be independent of colonic bifidobacterial overgrowth in humans.

Clostridium perfringensin poultry: an emerging threat for animal and public health

“…It was shown in vitro that lactobacilli reduce the adhesion of C. perfringens to immobilized canine mucus (Rinkinen et al, 2003). Although some studies are inconclusive, oral uptake of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria decrease the number of intestinal C. perfringens bacteria and spores in humans and mice in other studies (Gallaher et al, 1996;Romond et al, 1998;O'Mahony et al, 2001;Brigidi et al, 2001). Few studies have been performed on the protective effects of probiotic strains against C. perfringens in chickens.…”

A non-hydrolyzed, fermented milk formula reduces digestive and respiratory events in infants at high risk of allergy

“…Milk fermented with these two bacteria and heated to kill ferments has shown to modify intestinal microbiota in animals and humans (Romond et al, 1997(Romond et al, , 1998Thibault et al, 2004), to strengthen intestinal barrier in mice (Menard et al, 2006) and to prevent the increase of thymus size in non-breastfed, healthy term infants (Indrio et al, 2007). Moreover, the metabolites of these ferments exert immunomodulatory properties, partly through dendritic cells (Menard et al, 2004;Hoarau et al, 2006).…”

Increased Poliovirus-Specific Intestinal Antibody Response Coincides with Promotion of Bifidobacterium longum-infantis and Bifidobacterium breve in Infants: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

“…To this purpose, we used an infant formula that contains new bifidogenic factors generated through a fermentation process implying Bifidobacterium breve strain C50 and Streptococcus thermophilus. The fermented formula did not contain viable bacteria but bifidogenic factors previously shown to promote intestinal bifidobacteria in human flora-associated mice as well as in adults (9,10). In this clinical trial, the possible immunomodulative properties of intestinal bifidobacteria were investigated by quantifying fecal bifidobacterial levels and fecal IgA titers (as markers of mucosal immune stimulation) before and after vaccination with the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV).…”