Antimycobacterial, anticancer, and antiviral properties of probiotics: An overview

Abstract

Probiotics are live microorganisms that when administered in sufficient amounts, confer a health benefit to the host. Bacteria are the dominant group of microbes in the naturally fermented foods. Major genera of probiotics associated with fermented foods are Lactobacillus spp., Lactococcus spp., Leuconostoc spp., Macrococcus spp., Pediococcus spp., Bacillus spp., and Bifidobacterium spp. Currently, the beneficial aspects of probiotics on human health and nutrition are constantly increasing. Probiotic bacteria are known to exhibit potential activities against infectious diseases causing pathogens, particularly various species of Mycobacterium. Probiotics are considered to prevent tumor growth by maintaining homeostasis mechanisms. Substantial research activities showed that probiotics had antiproliferative or pro-apoptotic activities against various human cancer cells. In addition, probiotics have exhibited their potential role as antiviral agents against several groups of viruses. This review overviews the antimycobacterial, anticancer, and antiviral traits of probiotics isolated from different sources for its pivotal therapeutic applications in the future.