ABSTRACT
An optimally operating microbiome supports protective, metabolic, and immune functions, but disruptions produce metabolites and toxins which can be involved in many conditions. Probiotics have the potential to manage these. However, their use in vulnerable people is linked to possible safety concerns and maintaining their viability is difficult. Interest in postbiotics is therefore increasing. Postbiotics contain inactivated microbial cells or cell components, thus are more stable and exert similar health benefits to probiotics. To review the evidence for the clinical benefits of postbiotics in highly prevalent conditions and consider future potential areas of benefit. There is growing evidence revealing the diverse clinical benefits of postbiotics in many prevalent conditions. Postbiotics could offer a novel therapeutic approach and may be a safer alternative to probiotics. Establishing interaction mechanisms between postbiotics and commensal microorganisms will improve the understanding of potential clinical benefits and may lead to targeted postbiotic therapy.
Subject(s)
Gastrointestinal Microbiome , Microbiota , Probiotics , Humans , Probiotics/metabolism , Probiotics/therapeutic useABSTRACT
The gut microbiota is intrinsically linked to human health; disturbances in microbial homeostasis are implicated in both intestinal and extraintestinal disorders. Probiotics are "live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host," and many commercial preparations comprising a diverse range of species are available. While probiotics have been much researched, better understanding of the probiotic effects and applications of species such as Bacillus clausii is warranted. In this narrative literature review, we review the characteristics and mechanisms of action supporting B. clausii as a probiotic and discuss the evidence from clinical studies evaluating B. clausii probiotics for the management of a variety of gastrointestinal disorders and symptoms in children and adults. Finally, we highlight the challenges of future research and the need for more robust and diverse clinical evidence to guide physicians in the clinical application of probiotics for gastrointestinal disorders and other conditions.
Subject(s)
Bacillus clausii , Gastrointestinal Diseases , Gastrointestinal Microbiome , Probiotics , Adult , Child , Gastrointestinal Diseases/therapy , Humans , Probiotics/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Bacillus clausii is a probiotic that benefits human health. Its key characteristics include the ability to form spores; the resulting tolerance to heat, acid, and salt ensures safe passage through the human gastrointestinal tract with no loss of cells. Although B. clausii has been widely used for many decades, the beneficial properties of other probiotics, such as Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp., are better disseminated in the literature. In this review, we summarize the physiological, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory properties of probiotic B. clausii strains. We also describe findings from studies that have investigated B. clausii probiotics from the perspective of quality and safety. We highlight innovative properties based on biochemical investigations of non-probiotic strains of B. clausii, revealing that B. clausii may have further health benefits in other therapeutic areas.
ABSTRACT
O presente estudo avalia a prevalência de lombalgia na população de trabalhadores inseridos no Programa de Reabilitação Profissional do Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social (INSS), na cidade de São Luís/MA. Este programa apresenta como funções básicas a avaliação do potencial laborativo e a definição da real capacidade de retorno ao trabalho dos segurados atendendo aproximadamente 400 pessoas por mês. Através dos registros em prontuários, foi realizado um estudo de corte transversal retrospectivo em que foram separados 264 prontuários, válidos de 1995 a 2009, de trabalhadores afastados do trabalho e ainda com vínculo empregatício. Aqueles apresentados como desempregados foram excluídos do trabalho. Dessa amostra, selecionou-se somente os trabalhadores com diagnóstico de lombalgia, totalizando 88 prontuários, em que foram encontrados 83 casos do sexo masculino (94,3%), média de idade de 41 anos, variando de 24 a 53 anos. A prevalência de lombalgia foi de 33,3% em relação aos diagnósticos encontrados na amostra inicial. Observou-se que em sua maioria, a amostra era composta por trabalhadores casados, com baixa escolaridade, do sexo masculino, em idade produtiva e afastados do trabalho há mais de um ano, associada à realização de atividades profissionais às quais exigem postura estática, movimentos repetitivos e carregamento de peso.
The present study evaluates the prevalence of low back pain in a population of employees participating in the Occupational Rehabilitation Program at the Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social (INSS) in the city of São Luis, located in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. The basic functions of this program are the evaluation of labor potential and the definition of the real capacity to return to work of employees, and it serves approximately 400 people per month. Through the records in the medical registers, a retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out with 264 records, from 1995 to 2009, of employees off work and of employees still working. Those shown as unemployed were excluded from this study. From this sample, only employees with low back pain were selected, totaling 88 records, in which 83 male cases (94.3%) were found with an average age of 41 years, ranging from 24 to 53. The prevalence of low back pain was 33.3% compared to the medical registers found in the initial sample. Of those in the sample, it was noticed that most were married, with little schooling, male, at a productive age, and had been off work for more than a year. They had occupations that required static posture, repetitive motion, and strenuous physical activity.
