Probiotic bacteria preconditioned in a GOS-containing medium and use thereof
The present invention relates to compositions comprising galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and probiotic bacteria obtained by a process comprising the step of growing the bacteria in a medium comprising GOS, such composition having the effect of boosting the synbiotic effect of the probiotic bacteria with the GOS. Health benefits of the probiotic bacteria as obtained by such a fermentation process are also contemplated.
1. A composition comprising an effective amount of galactooligosaccharides and a probiotic bacteria comprising the galCDEGR(A) operon, wherein the probiotic bacteria is obtained by a process comprising
fermenting the probiotic bacteria in a bacterial growth medium comprising galacto-oligosaccharides, peptone, and at least one of 3′-sialyllactose or 6′-sialyllactose; harvesting the fermented probiotic bacteria, and
adding additional galacto-oligosaccharides to a culture obtained from the harvesting,
and the probiotic bacteria comprises Bifidobacterium.
2. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the probiotic bacteria is selected from the group consisting of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis, Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium breve.
3. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the probiotic bacteria is selected from the group consisting of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis deposited as CNCM I-3446, Bifidobacterium longum deposited as ATCC BAA-999, Bifidobacterium longum deposited as ATCC 15707, Bifidobacterium longum deposited as CNCM I-5259, and Bifidobacterium breve deposited as CNCM I-3914.
4. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises at least 0.2% total galacto-oligosaccharides, based on dry matter.
5. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the probiotic bacteria is present in an amount of at least 5×10 5 cfu/g.
6. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is selected from the group consisting of a food product, a beverage, an animal feed product, a nutritional supplement for human or animal, a pharmaceutical composition, and a cosmetic composition.
7. The composition according to claim 6 , which is a nutritional composition selected from the group consisting of infant formula, infant cereals, follow-up formula, growing-up milks, functional milks, and milk products for pregnant and lactating women or for women desiring to get pregnant.
8. A probiotic bacteria comprising the galCDEGR(A) operon, the probiotic bacteria obtained by a process comprising
fermenting the probiotic bacteria in a bacterial growth medium comprising galacto-oligosaccharides, peptone, and at least one of 3′-sialyllactose or 6′-sialyllactose; harvesting the fermented probiotic bacteria, and
adding additional galacto-oligosaccharides to a culture obtained from the harvesting,
and the probiotic bacteria comprises Bifidobacterium.
9. A process for increasing a therapeutic effect of a composition comprising galactooligosaccharides and a probiotic bacteria comprising the galCDEGR(A) operon, the process comprising:
fermenting the probiotic bacteria in a bacterial growth medium comprising galacto-oligosaccharides, peptone, and at least one of 3′-sialyllactose or 6′-sialyllactose;
harvesting the fermented probiotic bacteria, and
adding additional galacto-oligosaccharides to a culture obtained from the harvesting,
before incorporating the probiotic bacteria into the composition,
and the probiotic bacteria comprises Bifidobacterium.
10. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the therapeutic effect selected from the group consisting of to modulate the immune defenses of a subject, to boost the immune defenses of a subject, to prevent, treat or reduce infections in a subject, to prevent, treat or reduce inflammation in a subject, to prevent allergic reactions in a subject, to promote healthy microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract of a subject, to increase total short chain fatty acid production in the gastrointestinal tract of a subject, to increase acetate production in the gastrointestinal tract of a subject, to increase the production of lactic acid in the gastrointestinal tract of a subject, and to improve the activity of the microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract of a subject.
11. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the probiotic bacteria comprises Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. Lactis.
12. The probiotic bacteria according to claim 8 comprising Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. Lactis.
13. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the probiotic bacteria comprises Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. Lactis.
14. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the bacterial growth medium comprises 3′-sialyllactose and 6′-sialyllactose.
15. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the bacterial growth medium further comprises one or more of lactose, glucose, or galactose.
16. The probiotic bacteria according to claim 8 , wherein the bacterial growth medium comprises 3′-sialyllactose and 6′-sialyllactose.
17. The probiotic bacteria according to claim 8 , wherein the bacterial growth medium further comprises one or more of lactose, glucose, or galactose.
18. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the bacterial growth medium comprises 3′-sialyllactose and 6′-sialyllactose.
19. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the bacterial growth medium further comprises one or more of lactose, glucose, or galactose.
20. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the probiotic bacteria comprises Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. Lactis deposited as CNCM I-3446.