Interní Med. 2005; 7(10): 434-437

Probiotics in therapy of digestive diseases

prof. MUDr. Přemysl Frič DrSc

Interní klinika 1. LF UK a Ústřední vojenské nemocnice, subkatedra gastroenterologie IPVZ, Praha

Probiotics are nonpathogenic microorganisms mostly of human origin which, when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host and enable to prevent or improve some diseases. Probiotics may constitute a temporary component of intestinal microflora, but their concentration is not sufficient for therapeutic purposes. The viability of intestinal microflora (including probiotic strains) requires the availability of nutritional substrates (prebiotics), i.e. various types of fiber and oligosaccharides. Prebiotics are cleaved by microbial enzymes to various substances indispensable for metabolic and functional activities of the intestinal mucosa. Probiotics display favourable effects which qualify them for therapeutic use. For this purpose probiotics have to fulfil a series of requirements verifying their efficacy and safety. The administration of probiotics in digestive diseases is substantiated by experimental and clinical studies in inflammatory bowel diseases, infective and postantibiotic colitides, irritable bowel syndrome, liver diseases and some other conditions. Probiotic therapy has a physiologic character and its safety is high. This therapeutic concept opens new possibilities in a couple of digestive diseases and its importance will increase with growing knowledge and experience.

Keywords: Key words: probiotics, prebiotics, microbial interference therapy, digestive diseases.

Published: January 1, 2006  Show citation