In vitro and in vivo evaluation of probiotic as immunomodulatory and anti-Campylobacter agent

Abstract Human campylobacteriosis can be transmitted from animals to human either directly or through contaminated food. So, food safety plays a critical role in preventing the prevalence of food-borne diseases. Probiotics microorganisms are considered one of the most promising new strategies in controlling gastrointestinal tract (GIT) infection. In this study, two probiotic strains Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus DSM 20080 and Bifidobacterium bifidum were investigated as anti-Campylobacter agent both in vitro and in vivo. Where they showed elevated antibacterial activity when used as mixed culture with a significant downregulation in the mice intestinal gene expression of IL-1β mRNA and TNF-α mRNA induced by Campylobacter jejuni. Besides, the histopathological investigation of mice intestinal tissue showed great morphological changes in the infected groups with C. jejuni compared with Probiotics treated group that showed healthy intestinal sections with well-defined and enhanced villi. Generally, our findings demonstrate that probiotics have a beneficial and significant effect in the reduction and treatment of destructive effect of C. jejuni on mice gut.