Exploring the Science behind Bifidobacterium breve M-16V in Infant Health

Abstract

Probiotics intervention has been proposed as a feasible preventative approach against adverse health-related complications in infants. Nevertheless, the umbrella concept of probiotics has led to a massive application of probiotics in a range of products for promoting infant health, for which the strain-specificity, safety and efficacy findings associated with a specific probiotics strain are not clearly defined. Bifidobacterium breve M-16V is a commonly used probiotic strain in infants. M-16V has been demonstrated to offer potential in protecting infants from developing the devastating necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) and allergic diseases. This review comprehends the potential beneficial effects of M-16V on infant health particularly in the prevention and treatment of premature birth complications and immune-mediated disorders in infants. Mechanistic studies supporting the use of M-16V implicated that M-16V is capable of promoting early gut microbial colonisation and may be involved in the regulation of immune balance and inflammatory response to protect high-risk infants from NEC and allergies. Summarised information on M-16V has provided conceptual proof of the use of M-16V as a potential probiotics candidate aimed at promoting infant health, particularly in the vulnerable preterm population.

Strain-Specific Probiotic Properties of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli for the Prevention of Diarrhea Caused by Rotavirus in a Preclinical Model

“…The rationale behind the probiotic selection was established through pediatric use or following their source of origin linking with early life (i.e., isolation from infant feces or human milk). Moreover, some of them are actually included in infant formulas [50,57,58]. The dose was established in accordance with other studies [59,60].…”

“…Upon natural delivery, newborn rats were distributed into six groups of 24 animals each (three litters of eight animals/group): the reference (REF) group, the rotavirus-infected (RV) group, and four rotavirus-infected groups supplemented with: (1) Bifidobacterium breve M-16V, isolated from feces of a healthy infant [50]; (2) Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, isolated from adult human feces [51]; (3) Lactobacillus helveticus R0052, isolated from dairy culture [52]; and (4) Lactobacillus salivarius LMG P-27027 also referred to as Lactobacillus salivarius PS2, isolated from human milk [53]. All supplementations were provided by Danone Nutricia Research (Utrecht, The Netherlands).…”

The Relationship between the Infant Gut Microbiota and Allergy. The Role of Bifidobacterium breve and Prebiotic Oligosaccharides in the Activation of Anti-Allergic Mechanisms in Early Life

“…The potential beneficial effects of Bifidobacterium breve M-16V strain on infant health (observed also in pre-term infants) have been recently presented in a review paper by Wong et al [84].…”

Maternal supplementation with Bifidobacterium breve M-16V prevents their offspring from allergic airway inflammation accelerated by the prenatal exposure to an air pollutant aerosol

“…In summary, we demonstrated that the administration of B. breve M-16V to mothers during pregnancy and breastfeeding prevented the development of OVA-induced asthma-like allergic inflammation accelerated by air pollution ROFA in their offspring by inhibiting Th2 immune responses and changes in their gut microbiota. Of note, B. breve M-16V is safe for use as a probiotic in humans including premature infants and pregnant women [23]. Thus, additional studies of the preventive potential of M-16V for allergic asthma are warranted, and M-16V might ultimately have clinical applicability.…”