Dietary intervention with the probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus 145 and Bifidobacterium longum 913 modulates the potential of human faecal water to induce damage in HT29clone19A cells.

Probiotics reduce the risk of colon cancer by inhibiting carcinogen-induced DNA damage in animals, but there are no analogous data in human subjects. To enhance knowledge of the effects of probiotics in human subjects, we have investigated the genotoxicity of faecal water after dietary intervention with standard yoghurt or with probiotic yoghurt, which included the strains Lactobacillus acidophilus 145 and Bifidobacterium longum 913. Faeces were collected from nine healthy volunteers after intervention with probiotic yoghurt or standard yoghurt. Faecal water was isolated and incubated with human colon tumour cells HT29clone19A. DNA strand breaks, oxidised DNA bases and damage after challenge with H2O2 were determined by micro-gel-electrophoresis. Faecal water was genotoxic in comparison with NaCl, but protected against H2O2-induced DNA strand breaks. The intervention with probiotic yoghurt significantly lowered faecal water genotoxicity compared with standard yoghurt. However, probiotic intervention also increased oxidative damage; this either reflected prooxidative activity or stimulation of endogenous defence systems. Altogether, the balance of effects favoured protection, since faecal water from the probiotic group reduced overall genetic damage. Thus, there was a reduction of strand break-inducing compounds in human faeces after dietary intervention with probiotic bacteria. This protection reflected results from previous studies in carcinogen-exposed animals where probiotics reduced DNA damage in colon cells.