RESEARCH PAPER SEVEN

DEVELOPMENT OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA
AS A HEALTH FOOD SUPPLEMENT OR PROBIOTIC
BACTERIA IN YOUR BODY, ARE THEY GOOD OR BAD?
PREPARED BY KOSHY PHILIP, PH.D.
Technical Manager, OMX Marketing, Sdn. Bhd. (1998)

The term "probiotic" was first used in scientific literature by Lilley and Stillwell (1965) to refer to substances secreted by one microorganism which stimulated the growth of another in contrast to how antibiotics perform.

However, it took on a different terminology when Sperti (1971) used the term "probiotic" to describe tissue extracts that stimulated microbial growth.

Parker (1974) defined it as organisms and substances that contribute to the intestinal microbial balance. The most recent and accurate description of probiotics was undertaken by Fuller (1989) who redefined it as "a live microbial feed supplement beneficial to the host (man or animal) by improving the microbial balance within its body."

Medical practitioners have come to recognize that a disturbance of the microbiological flora in patients can lead to sickness and a daily supplement of the friendly lactobacilli bacteria can overcome such unhealthy conditions.

In addition, the gastrointestinal tract contains food in different stages of digestion, digestive ferments, liquids and solid waste. Within the gut are also wide ranges of microbes that may be either harmful or beneficial. The beneficial ones assist in the breakdown of food while they also manufacture vitamins essential to the body.

Under both healthy and sick conditions, several different types of bacteria compete or fight with each other to establish dominance in the warm and moist environment of the alimentary canal that serves as an ecosystem for their survival and propagation. The average human large intestine harbors over 400 different special of bacteria with a total population far outnumbering even the number of human cells in the body.

The "friendly" gut bacteria serve several functions-breakdown of fiber and other food residues, production of B vitamins and at times decompose toxic chemicals ingested with food to harmless end products.

Under ideal conditions of health and diet, the different strains of bacteria or microflora compete and check the excessive number of any one strain. And a healthy condition can be achieved if a balance is maintained between the "good" and "bad" bacteria in the ratio of 85 percent to 15 percent.

But this condition or ratio can alter and even reverse due to several external factors such as diet, adverse environmental conditions, physiological stress and overuse of certain drugs such as antibiotics and contraceptive pills leading to a sick condition. A healthy condition can be ensured if the level of good or friendly bacteria is maintained at a level of 85 percent.

This may be achieved in several ways including a healthy lifestyle. Since time immemorial, ancient civilizations have documented that man has been known to consume fermented foods such as yogurt, curds, fermented soybeans, buttermilk and fermented cabbage or sauerkraut.

The fermentation process has permitted certain bacteria from the air to grow in these foods and subsequently in the gut of those consuming it. The most prevalent microorganisms in most yogurts-Lactobacillus bulgaricus or Lactobacillus acidophilus-is also found in the human gut apart from other friendly ones such as Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacteria. But such foods with its lower level of useful lactic acid bacteria have not been able to entirely counteract the unhealthy body conditions contributed by a modern lifestyle and extreme environmental conditions. Hence, modern biotechnology has made it possible to innovate novel concentrated forms of microbial food supplements such as OM-X capsules each of which contains as many as 59 million live lactic acid bacteria.

As a superior biotechnology product, its inventor Dr. Iichiroh Ohhira succeeded to concentrate 12 different strains of live lactic acid bacteria from four groups namely Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Enterococcus and Bifidobacterium within a single OM-X capsule.

The scientifically tested and proven innovation has produced wide-ranging beneficial health effects on those consuming the capsules.

Research and epidemiological studies to show that lactic acid bacteria inhibited many different ailments further support the rationale for these supplements. Fermented dairy products or starter cultures used in the dairy industry have shown to inhibit chemically induced colon tumors in laboratory rodents.

Research on both humans and animals also suggest that the effect of diet was mediated by altering metabolic activity of the intestinal bacteria (Goldin and Gorbach, 1976; 1984a). Oral L. acidophilus supplements to the diet of rats also lowered the level of carcinogenic amines excreted in feces after feeding procarcinogen precursors to these animals.

Further oral supplement of diet with viable L. acidophilus of human origin, which is bile resistant, led to a significant decline of three different fecal bacterial enzymes (Goldin and Gorbach, 1977; 1984b). This decrease in the fecal bacterial enzyme activity observed in both humans and rats included beta glucuronidase, azoreductase and nitroreductase. All these enzymes catalyze the conversion of procarcinogens to proximal carcinogens in the large bowel leading to colon cancer.

Similarly, the effects of lactic acid bacteria on elevated plasma cholesterol have also been documented. Although there are currently a number of drugs available to lower plasma cholesterol, it would be preferable to achieve the reduction through non-pharmacological agents such as probiotics.

Several studies also show that lactic acid bacteria inhibit the in vitro multiplication of Candida albicans that can cause many health problems. Under certain circumstances, some lactic acid producing bacteria form detectable amounts of harmful bacteria especially pathogenic Gram-negative types. Hydrogen peroxide may also be involved in the activation of the lactoperoxidase-thiocyanate system in the gut. In this system, lactoperoxidase combines with hydrogen peroxide and then oxidizes thiocyanate to an intermediary oxidation product, which can inhibit bacterial growth and may be bacteriocidal at a low pH.

Most recently, it has also been suggested that beneficial bacteria can stimulate the immune system thereby increasing resistance to diseases.

References:

R. Fuller, "Probiotics in Man and Animals," J. Appl. Bacteriol., 66: 365-378 (1989).

B.R. Goldin and S.L. Gorbach, "The Relationship Between Diet and Rat Faecal Enzymes Implicated in Colon Cancer," J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 57: 371-375 (1976).

B.R. Goldin and S.L. Gorbach, "Alterations in Faecal Microflora Enzymes Related to Diet, Age, Lactobacillus Supplements and Dimethylhydrazine," Cancer 40:2421-2426 (1977).

B.R. Goldin and S.L. Gorbach, "Alternations of the Intestinal Microflora by Diet, Oral Antibiotics and Lactobacillus: Decreased Production of Free Amines From Aromatic Nitro Compounds, Azo Dyes and Glucuronides," J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 73: 689-695 (1984a).

B.R. Goldin and S.L. Gorbach, "The Effect of Milk and Lactobacillus Feeding on Human Intestinal Bacterial Enzyme Activity." Amer. J. Clin. Nutr. 39: 756-761.

D.M. Lilley and R.H. Stillwell, "Probiotics: Growth Promoting Factors Produced by Microorganisms," Science 147: 747-748 (1965).

R.B. Parker, "Probiotics, the Other Half of the Antibiotic Story," Amin. Nutr. Health, 29: 4-8 (1974).

G.S. Sperti, "Probiotics," Avi Publishing Co., West Point, Connecticut (1971).