Plymouth students' probiotics review published in international scientific journal
Probiotic bacteria can have everyday health benefits but could also play a major role in the treatment of major health complications.
That is one finding of a comprehensive review into their use by three final-year Biomedical Sciences students at Plymouth University.
Holly Hardy, Jennifer Harris and Eleanor Lyon originally tackled the topic as part of their coursework, but were encouraged to adapt it into a full paper after lecturers recognised the high quality of their work.
The final review paper, published in the scientific journal Nutrients, says: “The need for probiotic formulations has been appreciated for the health benefits in ‘topping up your good bacteria’. But in addition to playing an important role in barrier defence, probiotics have an ever-unfolding role to play as they can modulate the activity of many cells of the immune system. The growing body of evidence for the suitability of prebiotics in immunomodulation and formulation with probiotic strains represents a realistic approach in disease modification.”
As part of their work, the students examined how probiotics (microbes that confer a realistic health benefit) and prebiotics (indigestible dietary fibre/carbohydrate) could be used to impact on conditions such as Crohn’s Disease, inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.
They said extensive further research was needed, but that the bacteria had been shown to have a beneficial effect on certain cells associated with the diseases.
The coursework arose out of a module titled Cellular Basis of Immunity, which the students took as one of their optional final year modules.
Dr Andrew Foey, Lecturer in Immunology at Plymouth University, worked with the students on the paper along with colleague Dr Jane Beal. He said: “This review will stand the test of time and be a valuable resource for both researchers and students. It is a huge boost for the three students to see their findings published internationally, and testament to the hard work and effort they have put in. It also demonstrates the high quality of our programmes in this area to both current and prospective students.”
Jennifer Harris added: “Over the course of this review, I have seen a definite improvement in my ability to critically analyse the literature and write in a clear and concise manner. It has given me real confidence in my scientific abilities, the drive to keep going through exam revision and left me looking forward to writing more publications in the future.”
