The Role of Pre- and Probiotics in the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract

The intestinal mucosa is the site of a fundamental interaction between a large amount of foreign substances, the immune system and bacteria that colonizes the mucosa. Many gastrointestinal diseases are due to an altered interaction between all these actors, particularly inflammatory bowel diseases. As such probiotics (bacteria providing a benefit to the host) could provide an interesting solution as a therapeutic agent. The evidences supporting such use are limited but there are still some quality randomized controlled trials. The purpose of this review is to discuss the most recent evidences from the literature on the use of probiotics in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases.