Perspectives into probiotics- From phenotyping to pyrosequencing

significantȱ alterationsȱ inȱ parametersȱ butȱ confirmsȱ itsȱ acceptanceȱ toȱ aȱ

healthy body’s microbiota which proclaims its use as a potent prophylactic

agent against intestinal disorders (Prajapati et al., 2012). To further prove

theȱtherapeuticȱeffectsȱofȱtheȱstrainsȱonȱpatientsȱsufferingȱfromȱelevatedȱ

levelsȱ ofȱ cholesterol,ȱ anotherȱ clinicalȱ studyȱ onȱ “Effectȱ ofȱ consumptionȱ

of synbioticlassi fermented with Lactobacillus helveticus MTCC 5463 on

serum lipid levels in hypercholesterolemic humans” was carried out in 2011.

We had 9 subjects showing upto 10% reduction in total cholesterol; 5

showing upto 20% and one showing upto 30% reduction after consuming

the synbiotic drink. In 2013, we conducted a human clinical trial with a

probiotic oat based lassi developed under our Swedish collaboration and

foundȱsignificantȱonȱgutȱmicrofloraȱinȱtheȱsubjectsȱ(n=32).ȱHowever,ȱtheȱ

effectȱ onȱ cholesterolȱ wasȱ non-significant.ȱ Inȱ theȱ sameȱ timeȱ weȱ targetedȱ

theȱnicheȱgeriatricȱpopulationȱtoȱstudyȱtheȱeffectȱofȱprobioticȱinterventionȱ

on immune responses and management of cholesterol. The data is under

statistical analysis. With this we also did metagenome analyses of human

gutȱfloraȱasȱaffectedȱbyȱourȱprobioticȱcultureȱintervention.ȱ

Bacterial shifts after a probiotic intervention revealed by Metagenomics

Recentexplorationsofthehumangutmicrobiotasuggestthatperturbations

ofȱmicrobialȱcommunitiesȱmayȱincreaseȱpredispositionȱtoȱdifferentȱdiseaseȱ

phenotypes. Probiotics may restore the composition of the gut microbiome

andȱintroduceȱbeneficialȱfunctionsȱtoȱgutȱmicrobialȱcommunities,ȱresultingȱ

inȱameliorationȱorȱpreventionȱofȱgutȱinflammationȱandȱotherȱintestinalȱorȱ

systemic disease phenotypes. The metagenomic study revealed that the

faecal samples were dominated by Firmicutes (50%), Acintobacteria (20%)

andProteobacteria(10%).Changesinthephylumcompositionafterprobiotic

feeding included a 7% increase in Firmicutes, 1.5 % rise in Actinobacteria

and 1.9% increase in Proteobacteria. Proteobacteria were higher in non-

responders than respondents. The STAMP analysis revealed that among

responders and non-respondents the chief genera of Firmicutes that

showedȱsignificantȱdifferenceȱwereȱ Lactobacillus, Clostridium, Eubacterium ,

and Blautia (q< 0.002) while the genera of Proteobacteria included Shigella,

Escherichia, Burkholderia and Camphylobacter (q-value<0.002). The results

are enriching the knowledge of scientist working in this area.

Synbiotic product profile:

Aȱsynbioticȱhasȱbeenȱdefinedȱasȱ‘aȱmixtureȱofȱprobioticsȱandȱprebioticsȱthatȱ

beneficiallyȱaffectsȱtheȱhostȱbyȱimprovingȱtheȱsurvivalȱandȱimplantationȱ

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