Probiotics can help fight Salmonella infections

New research has revealed how a probiotic bacterium used to treat irritable bowel syndrome can soothe gut bacterial infections caused by Salmonella.

Probiotics are types of 'good' or 'benefical' bacteria. As well as aiding the immune system and digestion, scientists thunk that mixtures of pro biotic bacteria can help to reduce the growth of certain types of bacteria. Due to this, scientists are looking at the right types of probiotic bacteria.

Specifically, microbiologists have been studying a probiotic strain of Escherichia coli (not all strains of E. coli are harmful). A research group have found that a type of E. coli (called Nissle 1917 or Mutaflor) reduces Salmonella colonization by competing with the pathogen for iron, an essential nutrient that salmonella acquires in the gut in order to replicate at high levels.

Types of Salmonella bacteria can potentially cause illnesses such as typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, and other food borne illness. Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection.

For many decades E. coli Nissle 1917 strain has been administered to patients with a variety of bowel disorders (such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease). It now appears that this beneficvial bacterium could be used to treat other types of disease.

The study was conducted by UC Irvine microbiologists and the findings have been published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, in a paper titled "Probiotic Bacteria Reduce Salmonella Typhimurium Intestinal Colonization by Competing for Iron."

Posted by Tim Sandle