Review Article
Probiotic Bacteria Influence the Composition and Function of the Intestinal Microbiota
Table 1
Beneficial properties reported for probiotic bacteria.
| Host benefit | Microbial trait implicated | Reference1 |
| Immune modulation | | | Stimulation of immunity | Enhance T-cell numbers and activity levels | [13] | Dampening of inflammation | Promote anti-inflammatory cytokine production | [14] | Pathogen burden reduction | Competitive exclusion | [15] | Direct antagonism | [16, 17] | Uncharacterised | [18, 19] | Improved gut barrier function | Promote gut barrier integrity | [20] | Reduced cancer risk | Detoxification of carcinogenic metabolites | [21] | Reduced atopic allergy symptoms | Suppression of hypersensitivity | [22] | Reduced cardiovascular disease risk | Cholesterol reduction by deconjugation of bile salts | [23, 24] | Production of anti-hypertensive peptides | [25] | Alleviation of dietary intolerance | Catabolism of dietary ingredients | [26] | Enhanced nutrient value | Vitamin and co-factor production | [27] | Alleviation of IBS2 symptoms | Not defined | [28, 29] |
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1Sample reference for each trait. See main text for review references,2Irritable bowel syndrome.
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