Therapeutic Application of Synbiotics, a Fusion of Probiotics and Prebiotics, and Biogenics as a New Concept for Oral Candida Infections: A Mini Review

Abstract

Candida is a major human fungal pathogen causing infectious conditions predominantly in the elderly and immunocompromised hosts. Although Candida resides as a member of the oral indigenous microbiota in symbiosis, some circumstances may cause microbial imbalance leading to dysbiosis and resultant oral candidiasis. Therefore, oral microbial symbiosis that suppresses the overgrowth of Candida is important for a healthy oral ecosystem. In this regard, probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics can be considered a potential therapeutic and preventive strategy against oral candidiasis. Prebiotics have a direct effect on microbial growth as they stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria and suppress the growth of pathogens. Probiotics render a local protective effect against pathogens and a systemic indirect effect on immunological amelioration. Synbiotics are fusion products of prebiotics and probiotics. This mini review discusses the potential use and associated limitations of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics for the prevention and treatment of oral candidiasis. We will also introduce biogenics, a recent concept derived from the work on probiotics. Biogenics advocates the use of beneficial bioactive substances produced by probiotic bacteria, whose activities are independent from the viability of probiotic bacteria in human bodies.

Microbiome as a therapeutic target in alcohol-related liver disease

“…Synbiotics are a combination of healthy bacteria or probiotic with a prebiotic, that provides fuel for the probiotic. 101 In a small study in 2004, synbiotic treatment was shown to increase nonurease-producing Lactobacillus species for 14 days following cessation of treatment, leading to a reduction in minimal hepatic encephalopathy. 102 Studies are lacking in patients with alcoholrelated liver disease.…”

Immune-Enhancing Effect of Nanometric Lactobacillus plantarum nF1 (nLp-nF1) in a Mouse Model of Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression

“…Recently, many studies have reported that heat-killed microorganisms or fractionated cellular components, such as cytoplasmic extracts, membrane fragments, exopolysaccharides, and lipoteichoic acids, can modulate various immune responses, alleviating symptoms of colitis, autoimmune disorders, and allergies [20,21]. For this kind of substances, Mitsuoka [22] suggested the term "biogenics," which is defined as "food ingredients which beneficially affect the host by directly immunostimulating or suppressing mutagenesis, tumorigenesis, peroxidation, hypercholesterolemia, or intestinal putrefaction," and includes the administration of nonviable probiotic bacteria to obtain some "probiotic" effects [23]. Biogenic materials, including nonviable probiotic bacteria, have been actively developed as health supplements or functional foods because they possess stability to processes involving heat or acids [24,25].…”

Effect of prebiotics on growth behavior of Lactobacillus plantarum and their impact on adherence of strict anaerobic pathogens to intestinal cell lines

“…Several species metabolize a large diversity of different carbon sources, including all major categories of oligosaccharides (Ganzle & Follador, 2012). Earlier studies revealed that a variety of probiotic bacterial strains have been incorporated by food industry in different combination with prebiotics that act synergistically to promote gut health (Ho & Prasad, 2013;Ohshima, Kojima, Seneviratne, & Maeda, 2016;Patel & DuPont, 2015).…”