Probiotic Strain Bifantis Shows Anti-Inflammatory Properties in Arthritis and Salmonella Infection Models

Filed in archive Food and Agriculture on May 25, 2007

During the 38th annual Digestive Disease Week, the biotechnology firm Alimentary Health presented results indicating that a natural probiotic bacterial strain of human origin, Bifantis(R) (Bifidobacterium infantis 35624), has anti-inflammatory activities in models of arthritis and Salmonella infection.

[snip] four bacterial strains were fed to mice. Of these four strains, researchers determined that only Bifantis delayed the onset of artificially induced arthritis and resulted in less severe arthritic symptoms.

In the second study, mice were fed Bifantis and then exposed to Salmonella, a common bacteria associated with a form of food poisoning. Animals that received Bifantis showed dramatically increased numbers of certain immune cells that control the immune system's response to harmful pathogens, in this case Salmonella. Bifantis also increased the numbers of T- regulatory cells in the body, in effect limiting the concentrations of certain signals essential to inflammation, such as cytokines.

Bifantis has also been previously shown to modulate the inflammatory response in a clinical trial in irritable bowel syndrome.

Source: Alimentary Health