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Abstract
The intestinal microbiota, epithelium, and immune system provide resistance to enteric
pathogens. Recent data suggest that resistance is not solely due to the sum of the
components, but that cross-talk between these components is also involved in modulating
this resistance. Inhibition of pathogens by the intestinal microbiota has been called
bacterial antagonism, bacterial interference, barrier effect, colonization resistance,
and competitive exclusion. Mechanisms by which the indigenous intestinal bacteria
inhibit pathogens include competition for colonization sites, competition for nutrients,
production of toxic compounds, or stimulation of the immune system. These mechanisms
are not mutually exclusive, and inhibition may comprise one, several, or all of these
mechanisms. Consumption of fermented foods has been associated with improved health,
and lactic acid bacteria (lactobacilli and bifidobacteria) have been implicated as
the causative agents for this improved health. Research over the last century has
shown that lactic acid bacteria and certain other microorganisms can increase resistance
to disease and that lactic acid bacteria can be enriched in the intestinal tract by
feeding specific carbohydrates. Increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics in humans
has caused an increase in public and governmental interest in eliminating sub-therapeutic
use of antibiotics in livestock. An alternative approach to sub-therapeutic antibiotics
in livestock is the use of probiotic microorganisms, prebiotic substrates that enrich
certain bacterial populations, or synbiotic combinations of prebiotics and probiotics.
Research is focused on identifying beneficial bacterial strains and substrates along
with the conditions under which they are effective.