Effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus Supplements on Mutagen Excretion in Faeces and Urine in Humans

Abstract

Lactic acid bacteria have been reported to have antimutagenic properties in ,+fro. In order to investigate whether Lactobacillus acidophilus supplements have antimutagenic effects in humans, 1 1 healthy subjects on a standardised diet consumed fried beef patties twice daily for 3 d. The diets were supplemented with ordinary Lmtococcus fermented milk (phase 1) and thereafter with L . ucidophilus fermented milk (phase 2), whereby the excretion of mutagenic activity was determined in urine and faeces. In both faeces and urine high levels of mutagenicity were detected during phase 1. There was an increase in lactobacilli in the intestinal microflora in seven of I 1 subjects by the L. ucidophilus supplement (phase 2), and the mutagenic activity in urine was 72 per cent lower on day 2 (P< 0.01) and 55 per cent lower on day 3 (P< 0.05) compared to days 2 and 3 in phase 1. The total faecal and urinary mutagen excrction on day 3 during phase 2 was 47 per cent lower compared to day 3, phase 1 (P<O.O2). Thus, L. acidophilus given together with fried meat lowered mutagen excretion in humans.

Preventive Effect of a Lactobacillus casei Preparation on the Recurrence of Superficial Bladder Cancer in a Double-Blind Trial

“…This suggestion is supported by the study of Hayatsu and Hayatsu [14] which showed that administration of BLP suppressed the increase in urinary mutagenic activity fol lowing the ingestion of grilled beef by healthy volunteers. Similar results have also been obtained with L. acidophi lus [16]. If BLP prevents tumor recurrence by reducing the level of urinary carcinogens, this would also help explain its prevention of the upgrading of cancer in the present study.…”

The effects of probiotics on colon cancer development

“…A more recent study demonstrated a reduced uptake of the food mutagen, Trp-P-2, and its metabolites in various tissues of mice supplemented with dietary lactic acid bacteria (Orrhage et al 2002). In addition, the consumption of lactobacilli by human volunteers has been shown to reduce the mutagenicity of urine and faeces associated with the ingestion of carcinogens in cooked meat (Lidbeck et al 1992;Hayatsu & Hayatsu, 1993). In view of the in vitro results referred to here, it is possible that the lactic acid bacteria supplements are influencing the uptake and/or excretion of mutagens by simply binding them in the intestine.…”

Effect of dietary intervention with different pre- and probiotics on intestinal bacterial enzyme activities

“…Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli are the most widely studied probiotic genera and have been shown to exert cancer protective effects in vitro and in vivo (Lidbeck et al, 1992;Pool-Zobel et al, 1993). These organisms have low activities of enzymes involved in the conversion of procarcinogens into potentially carcinogenic compounds (Nakamura et al, 2002).…”