Probiotics

Probiotics

In-depth analyses of probiotic benefits, properties and challenges aiming to advance probiotic knowledge for the benefit of consumer health

 

Task Force Information

Objectives and list of Task Force members

Contact Information

Contact details in case you have specific questions

Activity Overview

Overview of ongoing and
upcoming activities

Expert Groups

Objectives, output and list of experts involved in each activity

Publications

List of publications of this
Task Force

Multimedia

Links to Task Force related documents, recordings and much more...

Completed Expert Groups

Details including experts involved of
each activity

Task Force Information

Objectives

Consumers, the scientific community, regulators and the food and dietary supplement industry show increasing interest in probiotics and their health benefits. The attention of the task force is thus focused on the understanding of the role of probiotics in health and disease, their mechanisms of action while increasing awareness of their direct/indirect benefits on health.

Task Force Members

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* Scientific Advisors

Contact Information

For more detailed information, please contact Georgia Chatonidi at gchatonidi@ilsieurope.be

Activity Overview

Ongoing Activities

- Benefits, Challenges, and Opportunities with Changes in the Maternal Microbiome

Through a narrative review, experts will develop an inventory of microbiota changes associated with physiological temporal changes in the maternal microbiota before, during and after pregnancy as well as with related clinical observations, and highlight mother and/or infant health benefits and challenges associated with those changes.

Start date: December 2023 | End date: Q4 2024

Upcoming Activities

- Probiotic Clinical Study Design

The Expert Group will work on recommendations and a decision tree for designing effective probiotic clinical studies. This initiative will bring together experts from academia, industry, and regulatory bodies to enhance research quality by establishing reporting guidelines, streamlining study design, and developing reliable protocols tailored to the unique nature of live microbes.

Start date: Q4 2024 - End date: Q4 2025

- Markers of the Gut Microbiota

The group aims to identify key markers for assessing microbiota improvement, focusing on measurable indicators of microbiota composition and activity that are relevant to human health. This activity will address the need for standardized markers to evaluate dietary interventions, combining various indicators for comprehensive evaluation. The activity is shared with the Prebiotics Task Force.

Start date: Q4 2024 - End date: Q1 2026

Expert Groups

Benefits, challenges, and opportunities with changes in the maternal microbiome before and during pregnancy

Background and objectives

During pregnancy, the maternal microbiota undergoes intricate changes in the gut, vagina, and endometrium, playing a pivotal role in maternal and fetal health. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of the maternal microbiome in ensuring a healthy pregnancy, while also linking it to potential complications like preterm birth. Exploring these dynamic microbial shifts and their impact on health outcomes is essential.

Despite probiotics not being a standard practice in pregnancy, understanding the microbiota changes—whether natural or induced—before and during pregnancy is crucial given their significance in maternal health outcomes. By delving into the mechanisms behind these microbial alterations and analyzing insights from probiotic clinical studies, experts aim to identify ways to optimize maternal health during pregnancy.

This expert group delves into the mechanistic consequences of maternal microbiota changes and early observations from probiotic studies to maximize the use of probiotics during pregnancy, drawing from current scientific literature and clinical data.

Output

Narrative review

Expert group members

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Probiotic Clinical Study Design

Background and Objectives

The aim of this activity is to develop recommendations and a decision tree for designing effective probiotic clinical studies, taking into account the unique characteristics of live microbes. This initiative will gather input from experts in academia, CROs, industry, and regulatory bodies to enhance the quality and outcomes of probiotic research. The objectives include: (1) organizing a consensus workshop to establish proper reporting guidelines, (2) generating a decision tree to streamline study design, and (3) recommending study protocols that ensure control and reliability. The activity will also focus on identifying appropriate study designs for various research purposes and highlighting critical considerations specific to probiotics, including the importance of accurate study reporting.

Output

This activity will result in recommendations/ decision tree to optimize study design, taking into account the unique, live nature of probiotics.

Expert Group Members

 

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Publications

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Multimedia

One-Pager

Completed Expert Groups

Overview of completed activities since 2021