Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2012, 13(5), 6026-6039; doi:10.3390/ijms13056026
Article

Beta-Glucans Improve Growth, Viability and Colonization of Probiotic Microorganisms

Pasquale Russo 1,2 email, Paloma López 3 email, Vittorio Capozzi 1,2 email, Pilar Fernández de Palencia 3 email, María Teresa Dueñas 4 email, Giuseppe Spano 2,* email and Daniela Fiocco 5 email
1 Promis Biotech, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy 2 Department of Food Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy 3 Biology Research Center, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Infection Biology, 28040 Madrid, Spain 4 Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Paseo Manuel de Lardizábal 3, 20018 Donostia, Spain 5 Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Foggia, Via Pinto, 1, 71122 Foggia, Italy
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 16 April 2012; in revised form: 10 May 2012 / Accepted: 11 May 2012 / Published: 18 May 2012
(This article belongs to the Section Bioactives and Nutraceuticals)
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Abstract: Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics are frequently-used components for the elaboration of functional food. Currently, most of the commercialized probiotics are limited to a few strains of the genera Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus and Streptococcus, most of which produce exopolysaccharides (EPS). This suggests that the beneficial properties of these microorganisms may be related to the biological activities of these biopolymers. In this work we report that a 2-substituted-(1,3)-β-D-glucan of non-dairy bacterial origin has a prebiotic effect on three probiotic strains. Moreover, the presence of this β-D-glucan potentiates in vitro adhesion of the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 to human intestinal epithelial cells.
Keywords: β-glucans; probiotics; prebiotics; Lactobacillus plantarum

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Russo, P.; López, P.; Capozzi, V.; de Palencia, P.F.; Dueñas, M.T.; Spano, G.; Fiocco, D. Beta-Glucans Improve Growth, Viability and Colonization of Probiotic Microorganisms. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2012, 13, 6026-6039.

AMA Style

Russo P, López P, Capozzi V, de Palencia PF, Dueñas MT, Spano G, Fiocco D. Beta-Glucans Improve Growth, Viability and Colonization of Probiotic Microorganisms. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2012; 13(5):6026-6039.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Russo, Pasquale; López, Paloma; Capozzi, Vittorio; de Palencia, Pilar Fernández; Dueñas, María Teresa; Spano, Giuseppe; Fiocco, Daniela. 2012. "Beta-Glucans Improve Growth, Viability and Colonization of Probiotic Microorganisms." Int. J. Mol. Sci. 13, no. 5: 6026-6039.

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