Some prebiotics and antimicrobials produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB), can modulate the composition of the gut microbiota and its metabolic activity to promote host health and/or prevent disease. We aim here to give an overview of the impact of prebiotic fibers and bacteriocins from LAB on the gut microbiota and its activities, which influence host physiology and health. Prebiotics act as a substrate for a group of gut bacteria and lead to exploitative competition. Bacteriocins directly damage selected bacteria. These interventions have therapeutic potential e.g. by modulating the microbiota from an unhealthy to a healthy state. Modifications that enhance the growth of SCFA-producing bacteria by prebiotics have a function not only in energy provision, but also in immune stimulation and in the gut-brain signaling pathway.
Year: 2017
Nationality: Norway
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