Anticancer properties of probiotic yogurt bacteria

Abstract

Key words: lactic acid bacteria, probiotic bacteria, yogurt, microbiota, cancer, cancer prevention

The intestinal microflora plays a key role in maintaining homeostasis in the human body. Microbes affect, among others, energy conversion and absorption of nutrients, regulate immune system and help to protect the host organism from pathogenic microorganisms. The balanced composition of the intestinal microflora can be easily disturbed and any changes caused by diet, stress, obesity, diseases of the digestive system or medication may lead to pro-inflammatory immune responses and initiation of disease processes, including cancer. Maintaining intestinal microflora homeostasis is therefore extremely important for human health. In order to restore it, it is most often used to take specimens with appropriate bacterial cultures, i. e. probiotics. Due to the fact that yoghurts are a source of probiotic bacteria, their regular consumption may be a strong point in the prevention of various types of diseases, including civilization diseases and cancer. This article reviews the literature in the area of using yogurt bacteria in the prevention of cancer. Issues addressed in the article relate to the characteristics of yogurt bacteria, beneficial effects of probiotics on human health, anti-cancer properties of yogurt bacteria and their metabolites, i. e. immunoregulation, prevention of bacterial infections, maintenance of cellular connections in the intestine and anti-cancer activity of bacterial metabolites.