Full Description
Our microflora is an individual personal feature, providing a distinct tag to individuals. However, our intestinal microbiome is strongly affected by genetic, nutritional, and other external factors, and evolves with age. An effect of different microbial patterns on health appears very likely as there seem to be specific changes of intestinal microflora associated with various diseases. Specific microbial tags may thus be used as biomarkers of disease: to diagnose it, to monitor its evolution, and eventually to predict its response to treatment. This scenario opens the opportunity for targeting intestinal microflora using probiotics, both for prevention and treatment of an increasing number of conditions. Probiotic therapy is applied either as an adjunct to other treatments or as primary therapy, and evidence of efficacy is accumulating in several conditions, affecting either the intestine or nonintestinal organs. This publication provides an update on probiotics directed at physicians, biologists, biotechnologists, and researchers working in the food industry and agriculture, as well as in the environmental and basic sciences.
Contents
Preface: Guarino, A.; Quigley, E.M.M.; Walker, W.A.; Composition and Modulation of Intestinal Microbiota; Probiotics: Definition and Taxonomy 10 Years after the FAO/WHO Guidelines: Morelli, L.; Intestinal Microbiota Composition in Children: Buccigrossi, V.; Nicastro, E.; Guarino, A.; Intestinal Microbiota Composition in Adults: Robles Alonso, V.; Guarner, F.; The Intestinal Microbiota and Aging: O'Toole, P.W.; Brigidi, P.; Shaping Intestinal Bacterial Community by TLR and NLR Signaling: Kobayashi, K.S.; Functions and Dysfunctions of Intestinal Microflora; Importance of Early Microbial Colonization for Intestinal Immune Development: Brandtzaeg, P.; Effects of the Intestinal Microbiota on Behavior and Brain Biochemistry: Barrett, E.; Dinan, T.G.; Cryan, J.F.; Quigley, E.M.M.; Shanahan, F.; O'Toole, P.W.; Fitzgerald, G.F.; Stanton, C.; Ross, R.P.; Relationship between Bacterial Colonization of Human Digestive and Respiratory Tract: Lynch, S.V.; Probiotics in the Prevention and Treatment of Diseases in Adults and Children; Probiotics in the Prevention and Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in Children: Pigneur, B.; Ruemmele, F.M.; Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children: Indrio, F.; Riezzo, G.; Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Adults: Quigley, E.M.M.; Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity in Children: Luoto, R.; Collado, M.C.; Laitinen, K.; Salminen, S.; Isolauri, E.; Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity in Adults: Power, S.E.; Fitzgerald, G.F.; O'Toole, P.W.; Ross, R.P.; Stanton, C.; Quigley, E.M.M.; Murphy, E.F.; Specific Bugs for Specific Diseases; Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis: Neu, J.; Role of Probiotics in Allergies: Berni Canani, R.; Di Costanzo, M.; Nocerino, R.; Pezzella, V.; Cosenza, L.; Granata, V.; Leone, L.; Probiotics in Respiratory Infections: Bruzzese, E.; Lo Vecchio, A.; Ruberto, E.; Probiotics in Food; Are Probiotic Effects Dose-Related? Patton, T.J.; Guandalini, S.; Safety of Probiotics: Hojsak, I.; Shamir, R.; The Future; Age-Related Functional Feeding: A Novel Tool to Improve the Quality of Life: Forssten, S.D.; Roytio, H.; Ibrahim, F.; Ouwehand, A.C.; Use of Microbes to Fight Microbes: Hill, C.; What is the Future for Therapies Derived from the Microbiome (Pharmabiotics)? Rijkers, G.T.; Mulder, L.; Rombouts, F.M.; Akkermans, L.M.A.
