PROBIOTICS AND EPICOR® IN HUMAN HEALTH

Altered gut microbiota may favor the production of effector over regulatory T cells, thereby disrupting the balance between them and contributing to the development of autoimmune disorders (1). Probiotics are non-pathogenic microorganisms able to interact with the gut microbiota and provide health benefits; their use has recently been exploited to dampen immunological response in several experimental models of autoimmune diseases (2). Probiotics also have varying effects on the immune system during different stages of life and have different benefits for certain age groups, which is similar to how the microbiota in our gut is constantly changing over the course of life (1). Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria are the most common probiotics, and possess substantial health-promoting properties such as modulating the population and composition of gut microbiome and improving the intestinal barrier function (1- 3). Furthermore, these microorganisms facilitate the production of metabolic parameters such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and reduce gut permeability which ultimately leads to improved immune responses and decreased inflammation (2). Orally ingested probiotic bacteria are able to modulate the immune system. Conversely, alterations occur in the immunomodulatory properties of different probiotic strains. Prior studies achieved in vitro advise that EpiCor® fermentate has prebiotic-like properties, being able to positively benefit immonomodulation in non-vaccinated humans in terms of a meaningfully reduced incidence and length of cold and flu-like symptoms. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate, in healthy adults, the effects of probiotic supplementation to the diet (Hyperbiotics Immune) on variations in the immune response through regulating some immunomodulation markers.