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Probiotics
See also Prebiotics
General information
Probiotics are organisms or mixtures of organisms that are used to colonize the gut, preventing colonization by pathogenic organisms. They include bifidobacteria, Escherichia coli Nissle 1917, and lactobacilli.
Escherichia coli Nissle 1917
Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 is a non-pathogenic organism that has been used as a probiotic in a formulation called Mutaflor to treat inflammatory bowel disease [ ], irritable bowel syndrome [ , ], and chronic constipation [ , ]. It has also been used to prevent colonization of the intestine with microbial pathogens in neonates [ ]. In most trials the incidences of adverse events have matched those with placebo. The presence of F1C fimbriae on the organism is required for biofilm formation on inert surfaces and this may be related to the ability of these organisms to colonize the human bowel [ ].
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Strains of Lactobacillus rhamnosus have previously been shown to be effective in treating infectious diarrhea in children. A product called Lakcid L, which contains three strains of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (573L/1, 573L/2, 573L/3), has been compared with placebo in 87 children with infectious diarrhea [ ]. Lakcid L significantly reduced the duration of infectious diarrhea due to rotavirus, but not in other infectious diarrheas. In all types of diarrhea, those who took Lakcid L required significantly less parenteral rehydration. No adverse events were reported.
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