Zahra Beig-Mohammadi,1,*Razieh Neshat,2
1. Department of Food Science and Technology, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. 2. Department of Food Science and Technology, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Introduction: Probiotics are living microorganisms beneficial to health when consumed, usually by improving or regenerating the gastrointestinal flora. These microorganisms increase human metabolism through several identified and unknown mechanisms and positively affect the intestine's chronic inflammatory and functional disorders, infections, allergies, etc. Foods including probiotic bacteria in the group -Food pragmatic- and consumption of these foods have beneficial effects on health. They contain at least 107 cfu/g of probiotic bacteria and even consume more than 100 grams/day. Probiotic bacteria play an essential role in modulating the immune system and creating antitumor properties. Bacterial strains can detect and destroy potential carcinogens and produce short-chain fatty acids that affect cell death and proliferation; These bacteria can activate phagocytes to kill cancer cells in the early stages.
Methods: Researchers are trying to prevent cancer by finding innovative treatments. Although the risk of cancer certainly depends on genetic factors, the immunological status of the organism plays a vital role because there is a close relationship between probiotic bacteria and bacterial flora in the gastrointestinal tract. Probiotic strains that have various beneficial effects on the health of the body are usually found in fermented dairy products, such as Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus, etc.
The microorganisms used as probiotics are usually lactic acid (LAB) bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Pediococcus, Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium, and some yeasts such as Saccharomyces boulardii. However, not all bacteria can be probiotics. Have a specific species. Probiotics are found in many food products such as naturally fermented olives, fermented dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, cream, frozen dairy desserts, and major fermented meat products, including fermented sausages and fermented fish.
Results: Using these properties in cancer treatment can significantly replace more invasive treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The specific mechanism associated with the antitumor properties of probiotics is not yet known. The intestinal microbiota is considered in different pathways in this process. Probiotic bacteria primarily play an essential role in maintaining homeostasis and stable physicochemical conditions in the large intestine. Decreased pH due to excessive bile acids in the stool may be a direct cytotoxic factor that affects the intestinal epithelium and leads to the formation of intestinal cancer cells. Due to its effect on pH adjustment and bile acid profile, probiotic bacteria such as L.acidophilus and B.bifidum indicate that probiotic bacteria will effectively prevent cancer.
In the 1980s, it was believed that specific diet components could cause the growth of certain bacterial strains in the gut, which contributes to the host's health. Subsequently, the term -prebiotics- was generally accepted, which selectively refers to indigestible foods and has beneficial effects on prebiotics' growth or activity in the large intestine after fermentation. According to this definition, different types of food can be considered as prebiotics, which also plays an essential role in the food industry, such as: improving the taste and texture of food, desirable oral sensation, replacing fat and sugar, and in Products such as yogurt and desserts, cakes and biscuits, beverages, meat products can be mentioned as technological functions of these compounds. Meanwhile, many dietary fibers composed of carbohydrates (monounsaturated polymers) are more emphasized as prebiotics. Dietary fiber is essentially resistant to hydrolysis by human digestive enzymes in the small intestine. To improve the effectiveness of therapy, -Synbiotic- is sometimes used. Synbiotics are foods or supplements made up of probiotics and prebiotics. The function of synbiotics can be complementary or synergistic. Combioticsarity indicates that each of the components in coexistence is independently selected for the potential impact of host health promotion. On the other hand, Synergy means choosing a prebiotic part to support specific probiotic activity; Synbiotics have been added to infant supplements, farmed fish diets, and cocoa milk.
Conclusion: Studies on probiotics look like the latest idea of possible implementation in advanced cancer treatments. Therefore, further research on the current topic is needed to confirm these findings and develop treatment strategies. This leads to advances in various fields of medicine that not only support immunotherapy in the treatment of cancer or the development of innovative vaccines but also improve drug development in other intestinal diseases while preventing inflammation and decreases.