Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 is a well-characterized and evidence-based probiotic strain. A feeding study led by Fergus Shanahan, MD and his research group at the University College Cork was conducted in patients with ulcerative colitis.
This pilot-scale, open-label study aimed to determine the ability of L. salivarius UCC118 to adhere to human enterocyte epithelial cells. The bacterial strain was administered to patients with ulcerative colitis at ~109 CFU/day for 12 days. Biopsy specimen analyses demonstrated that the ingested bacteria effectively adhered to both inflamed and non-inflamed mucosa of the large bowel in significant numbers and adherence mechanisms were explored.
The results demonstrate the mechanistic evidence for UCC118’s gastrointestinal (GI) transit and adherence to intestinal mucosa.
Citation
- Dunne C, Kelly P, O’Halloran S, et al. Mechanisms of adherence of a probiotic Lactobacillus strain during and after in vivo assessment in ulcerative colitis patients. Microb Ecol Health Dis. 2009;July:96-104.
