Comparison of Immunomodulatory Activity of Probiotic Bacteria and their DNA: A Study Conducted with L. acidophilus NCDC343 & L. casei Isolated from Yakult

Author(s)

Bhatia, A., Kaur, M., Kaur, H.

Author's Affiliation

Abstract

The increasing knowledge about the immune response mechanisms in modulating many diseases has raised interest in application of probiotics as immunomodulators. The beneficial health effects of probiotics are well known and many probiotic products are commercially available now as nutraceuticals. Though, probiotics have GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) status, yet their use may be limited and concentration dependent in aged and immunocompromised persons. Recent advances in immunology and molecular biology lead towards finding that the DNA of the bacteria is capable of immune activation. The preliminary experiments revealed that bacterial DNA is a better immune enhancer than its whole cell and that the bacterial genomic DNA is a good adjuvant. Hence, the present study was conducted to compare the immunomodulatory potential of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCDC343 (LA 343) [a strain selected after screening four strains of L. acidophilus (LA) for their immune activity] with that of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) [isolated from Yakult (commercial probiotic drink)] and their DNA. The results indicated that DNA has more profound effect as immunopotentiator than the whole cells. Both the probiotic strains i.e. LA 343 and LcS showed comparatively similar bioactivity; however, the isolated DNA of LcS showed maximum immunomodulatory activity. It is concluded that probiotic DNA is potent and safe immunopotentiator and may replace the whole bacterial cells or may act in synergism with standard drug available in the market after conducting experimental studies in animals.

Keywords

Probiotics, CpG-DNA, Immunomodulatory Agent, Yakult, NBT, iNOS, Bactericidal Activity

Cite This Article

Bhatia, A., Kaur, M., Kaur, H. (2015). Comparison of Immunomodulatory Activity of Probiotic Bacteria and their DNA: A Study Conducted with L. acidophilus NCDC343 & L. casei Isolated from Yakult, International Journal for Pharmaceutical Research Scholars (IJPRS), 4(1), 120-126.