Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics effects on immunity with emphasis on modulation of vaccine responses.
2012
Baran, M. M. | Kolida, S. | Rastall, R. A.
Over the last decade, research has provided a better understanding of the complexity and activity of the human gut microbiota. Molecular, culture-independent techniques made possible to identify health-promoting bacterial species in the human gut. This has intensified interest in the use of dietary approaches such as probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics targeting beneficial micro-organisms to maintain gut health or to improve disease states. Recently, research has focused on the ability to modulate the immune system by these strategies. Several studies to date support the ability of probiotics to enhance immunity and suggest potential mechanisms. Less is known about the prebiotic effects on immunity and the question has risen if the mechanism relies on direct interaction or through indirect changing in the composition of indigenous microbiota by prebiotic fermentation. The synbiotic approach merges the two individual strategies of probiotic and prebiotic; however, it is challenging to establish the mutual relationship between those components to evaluate the synbiotic functionality. Vaccination is a clinical marker to evaluate changes in immune functions by the coordinated, integrated immune response to a relevant challenge. Increasing number of studies describe the putative effects of dietary ingredients to improve the antibody response after vaccination. The outcome of such studies may contribute to the better understanding of relation between modulation of beneficial gut microbiota and clinical evident effects. This review highlights the recent knowledge on the modulation of immunity by probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics with specific emphasis on their effects on immune response to vaccination.
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