CLINICAL-APPLICATIONS OF PROBIOTIC BACTERIA

Probiotic bacteria are applied to balance disturbed intestinal microfl ora and related dysfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract. Current cl inical applications include well-documented areas such as treatment of acute rotavirus diarrhoea, lactose maldigestion, constipation, coloni c disorders and side-effects of pelvic radiotherapy, and more recently , food allergy including milk hypersensitivity and changes associated with colon cancer development. Many novel probiotics appear to be prom ising candidates for the treatment of clinical conditions related to d isease. They may be used as ingredients for functional foods and foods for specific disease requirements provided that basic demands for ide ntifying and following the strains and, consequently, good clinical st udies are carefully followed. Current data indicate that specific prob iotic strains have useful properties for defined clinical conditions m ainly involving the gastrointestinal tract. Some natural components ca n be used to enhance these probiotic properties. Future challenges inc lude the incorporation of one or more probiotics together or in combin ation with suitable prebiotic substrates to enhance the efficacy of th e preparations for clinical use. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.