title: A novel multi-strain probiotic and synbiotic supplement for prevention of Clostridium difficile infection in a murine model.
abstract: The protective effect of a multi-strain probiotic and synbiotic formulation was evaluated in C57BL/6 mice infected with Clostridium difficile (CD) NAP1/027. Antibiotic-treated mice were divided into the following four groups: Group 1, fed with a synbiotic formulation consisting of Lactobacillus plantarum F44, L. paracasei F8, Bifidobacterium breve 46, B. lactis 8:8, galacto-oligosaccharides, isomalto-oligosaccharides, and resistant starch; Group 2, fed with the same four probiotic strains as Group 1; Group 3, fed with the same prebiotic supplements as Group 1 for 7 days before CD infection; and Group 4 (control group) antibiotic treated and infected with NAP1/027 strain. Feces and cecal contents were collected for microbial cell viability, quantitative PCR (qPCR), toxin analyses and histopathology. Synbiotics- and probiotics-fed mice showed a significant increase in total bifidobacteria (P < 0.05). The total lactobacilli count was increased in Group 1. Tests for cecal toxins were negative in Group 2 mice, whereas one sample each from Group 1 and 3 was positive. qPCR of cecal contents showed significant reduction in NAP1/027 DNA copies in Groups 1 and 2 and significantly higher numbers of B. breve 46, L. plantarum F44, and L. paracasei F8 in Groups 1 and 2 (P < 0.05); these changes were much less pronounced in Groups 3 and 4. Our findings indicate that the newly developed synbiotic or multi-strain probiotic formulation confers protection against NAP1/027 infection in C57BL/6 mice. This holds promise for performing human studies.
authors: Labmedicine Skåne, Clinical Microbiology, Lund, Sweden; Danish Innovation Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Kanthi Kiran
authors: KK
authors: Kondepudi
authors: Padma
authors: P
authors: Ambalam
authors: Peren H
authors: PH
authors: Karagin
authors: Ingrid
authors: I
authors: Nilsson
authors: Torkel
authors: T
authors: Wadström
authors: Åsa
authors: Å
authors: Ljungh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000502:physiology; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000502:physiology*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D050296:Microbial Viability; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D058616:Synbiotics / Q000032:analysis*
keywords: Clostridium difficile NAP1/027; murine model; probiotics; synbiotics