<i>L. reuteri</i> DSM 17938: from the history of the discovery of the strain to the emergence of evidence-based studies (strain specificity)

Abstract

The history of the use of fermented, easily digestible products in the treatment and for prolonging life began long before their basis was called probiotics. Recipes for fermenting milk from various animals, endowing it with healing properties, have a long history. The first descriptions of fermentation of milk for making sour milk drinks and cheese are documented in the sacred writings of Indians and date back to about 2000 B.C. The first attempts to explain the secrets of sour milk began only in the second half of the XIX century and are associated with the works of outstanding scientists of the time - Louis Pasteur, Henri Tissier, I.I. Mechnikov, Stamen Grigorov and others. Today, in the usual sense, probiotics are living microorganisms that benefit the host when administered in adequate quantities. It is quite obvious that belonging of a probiotic strain to different species and types of bacteria determines a different set of immunological and non-immunological effects, as well as a number of specific, unique qualities.Lactobacillus reuteriis one of the most well-studied species with respect to both efficacy and safety. The beneficial health effects ofL. reuteristrains (DSM 17938, ATCC PTA 6475, ATCC PTA 52899) have been confirmed in more than 200 clinical trials with the participation of about 18,000 people of all ages. The article most fully describes the effects ofL. reuteriDSM 17938, the use of which is not limited to the well-known means of prevention and treatment of infantile colic.