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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Diet, Genomics and Immunology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #249351
Title: Safety assessment of probiotics for human use

Author
item SANDERS, MARY ELLEN - Dairy And Food Culture Technologies
item AKKERMANS, LOUIS - University Medical Center - Utrecht
item CONSTABLE, ANNE - Nestle
item HALLER, DIRK - Universitat Munchen
item HAMMERMAN, CATHY - Shaare Zedeck Medical Center
item HEIMBACH, JAMES - J Heimbach, Llc
item HORMANNSPERGER, GABRIELE - Universitat Munchen
item HUYS, GEERT - Ghent University
item LEVY, DAN - Utrecht University
item LUTGENDORFF, FEMKE - University Of Utrecht
item MACK, DAVID - Children'S Hospital - Ontario, Canada
item PHOTHIRATH, PHOUKHAM - Nestle
item Solano-Aguilar, Gloria
item VAUGHAN, ELAINE - Unilever

Submitted to: Gut Microbes
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/4/2010
Publication Date: 6/1/2010
Citation: Sanders, M.E., Akkermans, L.M.A., Haller, D., Hammerman, C., Heimbach, J.T., Hormannsperger, G., Huys, G., Levy, D.D., Lutgendorff, F., Mack, D., Phothirath, P., Solano-Aguilar, G., Vaughan, E. 2010. Safety assessment of probiotics for human use. Gut Microbes. 1(3):164-185.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The safety of probiotics is tied to their intended use, which includes consideration of the potential vulnerability of the consumer or patient, dose and duration of consumption, and both the manner and frequency of administration. Unique to probiotics is that they are living organisms when administered, and unlike other food or drug ingredients, possess the potential for infectivity or in situ toxin production. Since numerous types of microbes are used as probiotics, safety is also intricately tied to the nature of the specific microbe being used. The presence of transferable antibiotic resistance genes, which comprises a theoretical risk of transfer to a less innocuous member of the gut microbial community, must also be considered. Genetic stability of the probiotic over time, deleterious metabolic activities, and the potential for pathogenicity or toxicogenicity must be assessed depending on the characteristics of the genus and species of the microbe being used. Immunological effects must be considered, especially in certain vulnerable populations, including infants with undeveloped immune function. A few reports about negative probiotic effects have surfaced, the significance of which would be better understood with more complete understanding of the mechanisms of probiotic interaction with the host and colonizing microbes. Use of readily available and low cost genomic sequencing technologies to assure the absence of genes of concern is advisable for candidate probiotic strains. The field of probiotic safety is characterized by the scarcity of studies specifically designed to assess safety on the one hand contrasted with the long history of safe use of many of these microbes in foods on the other hand.