title: Development of new probiotics by strain combinations: is it possible to improve the adhesion to intestinal mucus?
abstract: We evaluated the ability of commercial probiotic strains (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, L. rhamnosus LC705, Bifidobacterium breve 99, and Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. shermanii JS) to adhere alone or in different combinations to immobilized mucus. Probiotic combinations were clearly able to enhance the adhesion of L. rhamnosus GG, L. rhamnosus LC705, and P. freudenreichii ssp. shermanii JS. For L. rhamnosus GG and P. freudenreichii JS, all the combinations significantly improved adhesion to intestinal mucus, from 29.7 to 34.9% and from 1.9 to 2.3%, respectively. The adhesion of L. rhamnosus LC705 was improved from 0 to 46.4%. The adhesion of B. breve 99 was improved only in combination with L. rhamnosus GG and P. freudenreichii JS. Our results suggest that probiotic combinations could increase the beneficial health effects as compared with individual strains. Combinations of probiotic strains may therefore have synergistic adhesion effects, and such combinations also should be assessed in clinical studies.
authors.affiliation: Functional Foods Forum, University of Turku, Itäinen Pitkäkatu 4A, 20520 Turku, Finland. marcol@utu.fi
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Collado
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meriluoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salminen
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D019936:Probiotics; D011424:Propionibacterium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*