Probiotics In Danone’s Activia Improve Colitis In Mouse Study

A study in mice by U.S. and French researchers, including four from Danone, has found that consuming Danone’s fermented milk product Activia containing the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis over four weeks improved colitis, an inflammation of the colon that causes abdominal bloating, pain and other symptoms. According to the researchers, the probiotic created an environment in the gut hostile to the colitis-causing bacteria Enterobacteriaceae. Mouse models of colitis were fed either Activia or a non-fermented milk drink. After four weeks, the intestinal environment of the mice who had consumed the fermented milk drink would not support the colitis bacteria. The findings, which provide insights into the way intestinal microbiota react to various probiotic strains, create a structure for optimizing probiotic-based functional foods, the researchers concluded.