Probiotics: a new or an old concept?

Abstract

Probiotics are an agent renewable from the outside that is capable of delivering active factors (metabolites, regulatory molecules, etc.) to target points of the gastrointestinal tract, and ensure the formation of a regulatory impact source for extraintestinal effects (target points). The uniqueness of probiotics lies in the fact that the microbial cell is simultaneously a proper transport container, a delivery system with a specific distribution in the gastrointestinal tract and a factory for reproduction of effector molecules.The modern Probiotics 2.0 concept implies not only the development of bioengineering strains, but the use of probiotics for the maximally proven indications. Conducting research in the most promising areas of probiotics usage, on the one hand, and the development of evidence base for a particular strain in a relatively narrow spectrum of clinically significant effects, on the other hand, significantly reduces the financial and time costs to bring new products to market. An example is a strain of Bifidobacterium longum longum 35624® that was authorized for the treatment of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. However, the “old” probiotics are no less important, especially if the original strain compliance with the “10 golden rules for probiotic therapy” is high.