RESEARCH METHODOLOGY POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Please note: All posters will be displayed in Salons 10-12.

FRIDAY, 10:15-11:00 AM

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Merenstein D, Park H*.

Yogurt beverages as a vehicle to deliver high dose probiotics.

Georgetown University Djm23@georgetown.edu *Presenting author

Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in sufficient amounts, may improve health. Yogurt, a fermented milk product, is produced by the action of two probiotics, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. In fact, two-thirds of primary care physicians who counsel patients about nutrition recommend consuming yogurt containing live active cultures (probiotics) for their health benefit. Yogurt can be an effective delivery vehicle for probiotics, but yogurts available in the United States are not formulated with attention to optimal probiotic strains or dose. Yogurt is also an attractive delivery agent because of its popularity with parents and children, likely improving compliance over probiotic supplements. We propose to produce and evaluate yogurt formulated with a probiotic strain at a dose that results in recovery in stools. Our long-term goal is to develop yogurt with sufficient probiotic dosages to positively impact several aspects of health. However, evidence for these health outcomes is lacking. Our goals for this study are: 1) to determine whether we can produce yogurt with proper probiotic dosage that survives the gastrointestinal tract; and, 2) to conduct pilot studies leading to effectiveness studies in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. We have three specific aims to accomplish these goals. Aim #1: To produce drinkable yogurt that will supply 10x10 colony forming units of supplemental probiotics, Lactobacillus GG (LGG), per day. Aim #2: To test LGG supplemented yogurt and placebo yogurt (yogurt with only starter cultures) in a crossover style fashion in children to determine if the supplemental probiotics survive the gastrointestinal tract and are identifiable in stools. Aim #3: To evaluate the feasibility of conducting randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials of yogurt, we will conduct an open label pilot study with children. This proposal is in consort with National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's mission and priorities designed to: 1) determine active ingredients, pharmacology, bioavailability and optimal dosing; 2) identify surrogate markers; and, 3) assess study feasibility. A yogurt will be produced with more efficacious probiotic content at a dose that enables probiotic survival through the intestinal tract as assessed by stool analysis. Our rationale for using yogurt as a vehicle for transmission is that it has the potential for much greater public health benefits than using probiotics as medicinal supplements. A readily available yogurt with high dose probiotics has the potential to greatly impact health throughout the world.

 

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