Probiotics may guard against food poisoning
Although it has been suspected as being good for your health, probiotics may also protect against food poisoning.
Irish scientists report that a combination of five probiotic strains may reduce food poisoning by salmonella, if results of their pig study can be translated to humans.
“The administered strains of probiotic bacteria improved both the clinical and microbiological outcome of Salmonella infection in pigs,” wrote the researchers, led by Colin Hill from University College Cork. “Unlike the normal Lactobacillus acidophilus or bifidobacterium probiotic bacteria, these strains offer significant benefit for use in the food industry and may have potential in human applications.”
According to the European Commission, salmonella induced food poisoning costs the UK economy alone around €1.5 billion each year, with 160,000 cases reported annually Europe-wide. In addition about 1.4 million Americans are estimated to suffer annually from salmonella, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new research divided 15 weaned pigs and fed them milk supplemented with a mixture of five Lactobacillus probiotic strains (two strains of Lactobacillus murinus and one strain each of Lactobacillus salivarius sub specie salivarius, Lactobacillus pentosus, and Pediococcus pentosaceous), or placebo (regular milk) for 30 days.
After six days of the probiotics, the pigs were given an oral dose of Salmonella enteritica serovar Typhimurium. The health and microbiology of the faeces were monitored for 23 days.
According to the researchers in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, the pigs receiving probiotics showed reduced incidence, severity and duration of diarrhea. It was also significantly lower in numbers of Salmonella from faecal samples after 15 days post-infection.
The probiotic milk group also gained more weight than the control pigs, they said.
Probiotic products containing ‘friendly’ bacteria are now well accepted by consumers in many European countries, with putative benefits highlighted for gut and immune health.
The benefits for gut health have been reported to be due to the probiotic bacteria adhering to the walls of the intestine, which inhibits the ability of the pathogenic Salmonella to stick and colonise the gut, thereby reducing the infection.
Further research is needed, particularly on whether similar positive results are obtainable in human subjects.
Source: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Volume 73, Issue 6, Pages 1858-1863
“A five-strain probiotic combination reduces pathogen shedding and alleviates disease signs in pigs challenged with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.”
Authors: P.G. Casey, G.E. Gardiner, G. Casey, B. Bradshaw, P.G. Lawlor, P.B. Lynch, F.C. Leonard, C. Stanton, R.P. Ross, G.F. Fitzgerald, C. Hill.
