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Review
. 2011:2011:981214.
doi: 10.1155/2011/981214. Epub 2011 Jul 2.

The gut microbiota and human health with an emphasis on the use of microencapsulated bacterial cells

Satya Prakash  1 , Catherine Tomaro-Duchesneau, Shyamali Saha, Arielle Cantor
Affiliations
Review

The gut microbiota and human health with an emphasis on the use of microencapsulated bacterial cells

Satya Prakash et al. J Biomed Biotechnol. 2011.

Abstract

The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining health. Alterations of the gut bacterial population have been associated with a number of diseases. Past and recent studies suggest that one can positively modify the contents of the gut microbiota by introducing prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, and other therapeutics. This paper focuses on probiotic modulation of the gut microbiota by their delivery to the lower gastrointestinal tract (GIT). There are numerous obstacles to overcome before microorganisms can be utilized as therapeutics. One important limitation is the delivery of viable cells to the lower GIT without a significant loss of cell viability and metabolic features through the harsh conditions of the upper GIT. Microencapsulation has been shown to overcome this, with various types of microcapsules available for resolving this limitation. This paper discusses the gut microbiota and its role in disease, with a focus on microencapsulated probiotics and their potentials and limitations.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The GIT characteristics (oxygen distribution, pH, bacterial populations, and bacterial cell counts) and the localization of the various gut bacterial populations, termed microbiota.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Pathways by which a probiotic can positively influence human health. They can influence human health by (1) production of pathogen inhibitory substances; (2) blocking of pathogenic bacteria adhesion sites; (3) nutrient competition and production; (4) degradation of toxins and toxin receptors; (5) modulation of innate immune responses.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The concept of microcapsules for probiotic delivery. (a) Alginate-Poly-L-Lysine (APA) and (b) Genipin Crosslinked Alginate Chitosan (GCAC) microcapsules.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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