Probiotics tailored to the infant: a window of opportunity.
Initial neonatal gut colonization is a crucial stage for developing a healthy physiology, beneficially influenced by breast-feeding. Breast milk has been shown not only to provide nutrients and bioactive immunological compounds, but also commensal bacteria, including gut-associated anaerobic bacteria such as Bifidobacterium species. Infant formulas are increasingly supplemented with probiotic bacteria despite uncertainties regarding their efficacy, and lack of mechanistic understanding. Breast milk may be a valuable source of such bacteria which, upon validation of their mechanism of action, might open a window of opportunity for developing probiotic-supplemented infant formula with proven efficacy.
Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, Zürich CH-8092, Switzerland.
Christophe
C
Chassard
Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, Zürich CH-8092, Switzerland.
Tomas
T
de Wouters
Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, Zürich CH-8092, Switzerland. Electronic address: christophe.lacroix@hest.ethz.ch.
Christophe
C
Lacroix
D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000378:metabolism; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000378:metabolism; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D064307:Microbiota / Q000502:physiology*; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000382:microbiology; D019936:Probiotics
D019344:Lactic Acid