Probiotics and prebiotics in infant nutrition

• Published in: Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2007-08, Vol.66 (3), p.405-411
• Main Authors: Parracho, Helena, McCartney, Anne L., Gibson, Glenn R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Babies; Bacteria; Bifidobacteriaceae; Biological and medical sciences; breast feeding; breast milk; Breastfeeding & lactation; Colon; Colon - growth & development; Colon - microbiology; Diet; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Fermentation; Flora; Functional foods & nutraceuticals; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health Status; Human nutrition; Humans; Infant; Infant Formula; infant formulas; infant nutrition; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - physiology; Infant, Newborn - growth & development; Infants; Influence; Intestinal Diseases - prevention & control; intestinal microorganisms; Lactobacillus; literature reviews; Metabolism; Microbiota; Milk, Human - immunology; Milk, Human - physiology; Nutrition; Pathogens; Prebiotics; Probiotics; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
• ISSN: 0029-6651; 1475-2719
• DOI: 10.1017/S0029665107005678

The human colonic microflora has a central role in health and disease, being unique in its complexity and range of functions. As such, dietary modulation is important for improved gut health, especially during the highly-sensitive stage of infancy. Diet can affect the composition of the gut microflora through the availability of different substrates for bacterial fermentation. Differences in gut microflora composition and incidence of infection exist between breast-fed and formula-fed infants, with the former thought to have improved protection. Historically, this improvement has been believed to be a result of the higher presence of reportedly-beneficial genera such as the bifidobacteria. As such, functional food ingredients such as prebiotics and probiotics could effect a beneficial modification in the composition and activities of gut microflora of infants by increasing positive flora components. The prebiotic approach aims to increase resident bacteria that are considered to be beneficial for human health, e.g. bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, while probiotics advocates the use of the live micro-organisms themselves in the diet. Both approaches have found their way into infant formula feeds and aim to more closely simulate the gut microbiota composition seen during breast-feeding.