Safety and efficacy of probiotics- A Microbiological Perspective

Shilpi SharmaDepartment of Biochemical Engineering &

BiotechnologyIndian Institute of Technology Delhi

shilpi@dbeb.iitd.ac.in(img from detoxplanet.webs.com)

World within us: Gulliver’s travel

• 3-5 pound of microorganisms

sitting in your gut right now! • Digestion• Production of vitamins• Ward off pathogens• Mucosal maturation• Stimulate Immune System

http://germzoo.blogspot.in/2013/01/fecal-transplants-to-treat-difficult.html

• Bacteria in our body outnumber

the number of cells by 10:1.

We are only 10% human!We are never alone!

Probiotics• Live microorganisms• ‘superbugs’• Often regulated as dietary supplements

Factors affecting efficacy of probiotics

• Strain• Dosage• Duration of treatment• Mode of administration• Health status of individual

http://foundingbumps.com/2014/09/17/you-are-what-you-eat/

Current safety parameters• Genetic stability of the probiotic over time, • Deleterious metabolic activities • Potential for pathogenicity or toxicogenicity • Immunological effects

Methodologies• In vitro toxicological assays• Animal models• Cancer cell lines

3R (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement)

Indigenous strains!!!

Questions to be addressed• How different is Indian gut microbiome?• How does the introduced bacteria interact

with resident population?• How transferable are its ‘superbug’ traits to

other non-desirable organisms in gut?• What is the correct dosage, with what

supplement, and for which age group?

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-09/fyi-how-much-bacteria-do-people-carry-around

Way forward…• Characterization of Indian gut microbiome• Indigenous probiotic strains• Untransformed non-cancer cell lines• 3D gut models

Shetty et al 2013http://www.clker.com/clipart-intestinal-bacteria.html

Our contribution• Bio-prospecting for indigenous probiotic strains

with multiple health benefits• Chemostat model for establishment of gut

microbiome• Assessment by monitoring effects of

supplements on gut microbial community

Emulsifiers / Probiotics / Flavor enhancers

Thank you

3D functional cell model of gut

(by Milipore, Billerica, USA taken from Trapecar and Cencic 2012)