Viability and In Vitro Gastrointestinal Transit Tolerance of Multispecies Probiotic Combinations Incorporated into Orange Juice and Drinking Water.

Little is known about how combining probiotics affects the storage survival and functional performance of individual probiotics when incorporated into non-dairy drinks. Viability of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LG), Limosilactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 (LR), Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 (Bb), and Propionibacterium jensenii 702 (PJ), either alone or in multi-species combinations included in orange juice (OJ), were assessed during storage in refrigerated conditions and compared with bottled water (BW). The tolerance of probiotics included in refrigerated OJ to simulated gastrointestinal conditions was also examined. LG and LR viabilities were significantly higher in OJ than in BW (p ≤ 0.001), while the reverse was evident for PJ. Bb maintained high viability in both drinks. LG-PJ in both drinks and Bb-PJ in BW resulted in greater viabilities among the paired combinations compared to their respective monocultures when incorporated separately (p ≤ 0.001). The viability of LG in the LG-Bb-PJ combination improved significantly in BW compared with LG alone (p ≤ 0.001). OJ did not alter bacterial tolerance to simulated gastric juice but diminished tolerance to simulated intestinal juice (SIJ). In all combinations, tolerance of LG and LR to SIJ was improved, whereas tolerance of PJ declined significantly compared with respective monocultures (p ≤ 0.001). In conclusion, probiotic storage stability and gastrointestinal transit tolerance were species-dependent and affected by carrier type and combinations. These effects should be considered when formulating probiotic products.

Short-term imaging follow-up of patients with concordant benign breast core needle biopsies: is it really worth it?

PURPOSE: Women with histologically proven concordant benign breast disease are often followed closely after biopsy for a period of two years, and they are considered to be at high-risk for cancer development. Our goal was to evaluate the utility of short-term (six-month) imaging follow-up and determine the incidence of breast cancer development in this population. METHODS: Retrospective review of concordant benign breast pathology was performed in 558 patients who underwent multimodality breast core biopsy. A total of 339 patients (60.7%) with 393 biopsies qualified for the study. The six-, 12-, and 24-month incidence rates of breast cancer development were estimated with 95% confidence intervals (CI), using the exact method binomial proportions. RESULTS: No cancer was detected in 285 of 339 patients (84.1%) returning for the six-month follow-up. No cancer was detected in 271 of 339 patients (79.9%) returning for the 12-month follow-up. Among 207 follow-up exams (61.1%) performed at 24 months, three patients were detected to have cancer in the ipsilateral breast (1.45% [95% CI, 0.30%-4.18%]) and two patients were detected to have cancer in the contralateral breast (0.97% [95% CI, 0.12%-3.45%]). Subsequent patient biopsy rate was 30 of 339 (8.85%, [95% CI, 6.05%-12.39%]). Three ipsilateral biopsies occurred as a sole result of the six-month follow-up of 285 patients (1.05%, [95% CI, 0.22%-3.05%]). CONCLUSION: Short-term imaging follow-up did not contribute to improved breast cancer detection, as all subsequent cancers were detected on annual mammography. Annual diagnostic mammography after benign breast biopsy may be sufficient.

In vitro assessment of the upper gastrointestinal tolerance of potential probiotic dairy propionibacteria.

This study aimed to assess the transit tolerance of potential probiotic dairy propionibacteria strains in human upper gastrointestinal tract in vitro, and to evaluate the effect of food addition on viability of these strains in simulated pH 2.0 gastric juices. The transit tolerance of 13 dairy propionibacteria strains was determined at 37 degrees C by exposing washed cell suspensions to simulated gastric juices at pH values at 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0, and simulated small intestinal juices (pH 8.0) with or without 0.3% bile salts. The viability of dairy propionibacteria in pH 2.0 simulated gastric juice with So-Good original soymilk or Up & Go liquid breakfast was also determined. The simulated gastric transit tolerance of dairy propionibacteria was strain-dependent and pH-dependent. All tested strains were tolerant to simulated small intestinal transit. The addition of So-Good original soymilk or Up & Go liquid breakfast greatly enhanced the survival of dairy propionibacteria strains in pH 2.0 simulated gastric juices. Dairy propionibacteria strains demonstrate high tolerance to simulated human upper gastrointestinal tract conditions and offer a relatively overlooked, yet alternative source for novel probiotics besides Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.

The in vivo assessment of safety and gastrointestinal survival of an orally administered novel probiotic, Propionibacterium jensenii 702, in a male Wistar rat model.

This study aimed to evaluate in vivo gastrointestinal survival and safety of orally administered probiotic bacterium, Propionibacterium jensenii 702, using a male Wistar rat model. A high dose of 10(10) cfu/rat/day of P. jensenii 702 was fed to each rat for 81 days. The repeated dose toxicity and translocation of P. jensenii 702 into rat tissues were evaluated, along with the rat faecal beta-glucuronidase activities and dairy propionibacteria counts. Results showed that P. jensenii 702 had no adverse effect on general health status, body weight gain, visceral organs and faecal beta-glucuronidase activities. No viable cells of P. jensenii 702 were recovered from blood and tissue samples (mesenteric lymph nodes, liver and spleen) of rats, and no treatment-associated illness or death was observed. Faecal dairy propionibacteria counts reached 10(8) cfu/g after 36 days treatment and remained between 10(8)-10(9) cfu/g till the end of 81 days treatment. The results indicate that P. jensenii 702 was able to survive the in vivo gastrointestinal tract transit of rats, with no adverse affects on the animals. However, further human clinical trials are required before strain P. jensenii 702 could be incorporated into food for human consumption as probiotics.