The Bifidus Effect is the ability of bifidobacteria to positively affect human gut health and reduce the risk for certain diseases. This effect is attributed to several different mechanisms including immune modulation, pathogen exclusion and production of metabolites and bacteriocins as well as surface associated biopolymers. These mechanisms of probiotic action vary in strain-specific ways with some strains exhibiting combinatorial effects.
Bifidobacteria are a group of bacteria that reside in the large intestine of humans and other mammals. They are also known as “good bacteria,” as they help digest food and produce vitamins that keep your digestive system working normally. They also support the body’s immune function and can help reduce allergies, asthma and other respiratory problems.
Studies have shown that bifidobacteria can improve your overall health by affecting your immune system, helping with symptoms of constipation and even relieving bloating. Bifidobacteria are also found in a variety of supplements, including prebiotics and probiotics. They are often combined with other probiotics, such as lactobacillus and acacia gumma.
Human breast milk contains a unique mixture of oligosaccharides that promote bifidobacteria colonization. Bottle fed infants, however, lack this bifidobacteria-promoting oligosaccharide in their intestinal tract, which increases their vulnerability to infections. Because of this, oligosaccharides are added to baby formula in order to increase bifidobacteria levels. Dannon’s popular Activia yogurt uses a proprietary strain of bifidobacteria called Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010, which they market under the trade name Bifidus Regularis.
In addition to oligosaccharides, the Bifidobacterium genus produces a wide variety of inulin metabolic enzymes such as a-glucosidase, galactosidase and fructofuranosidase (Satoshi et al., 2011). These bifidobacteria-produced inulin metabolism enzymes help to break down dietary fibers and enhance the absorption of these compounds within the gut.
The bifidobacteria in your body naturally stimulate your immune system to protect against bacterial and viral infections. They can also prevent constipation, bloating and diarrhea. Probiotics like bifidobacteria are available in a variety of forms, including capsules and powders.
Besides the probiotic properties of bifidobacteria, some specific bifidobacterium strains have antimicrobial activity against bacteria, yeast and parasites. These probiotics can be found in many products, such as yoghurt and kefir.
The bifidobacteria, especially the B. bifidum strains S16, B. breve BBSF, B. longum MM-2 and B. lactis DN-173 010, have been shown to exhibit bacteriocins with high thermal stability and resistance against refrigeration, freezing, gastrointestinal acid, salts and proteases. These bacteriocins, such as bifidin I, bifilactin, and bisin, have been reported to exhibit antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi (Gonzalez-Rodriguez et al., 2012). In addition to bacteriocins, the Bifidobacterium has been reported to produce surface associated biopolymers which are capable of binding cellular membranes and eliciting a host response (Guo et al., 2015a). This surface associated molecular mechanism of interaction with the innate immune system has not yet been fully understood. Moreover, the bacterium has been demonstrated to have immunomodulatory activity reducing chemotherapeutic drug side effects in vivo (Guo et al., 2012). This activity could be attributed to their immunomodulatory properties and their ability to suppress inflammatory responses through regulating the production of cytokines and chemokines.