The Impact of Commonly Administered Medications on Viability and Functionality of Bifidobacteria

Probiotics are living microorganisms that confer health benefits on the host when administered in adequate amounts. It has been proven that consumption of probiotics on a regular basis reduces the risk of serious illnesses such as hypertension, cancer, and stroke. Commonly consumed medical drugs may interact with probiotic bacteria and influence their viability and functionality. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of commonly administered medical drugs on the survival and functional properties of Bifidobacterium strains. Overnight grown strains of Bifidobacterium (B. breve, B. longum, B. infantis, B. adolescentis, and B. bifidium ) were individually diluted to obtain 6-7 Log CFU/mL dilutions. One tablet of a medical drug (Aleve, Aspirin, and Tylenol) was completely dissolved in batches of 9 mL sterilized MRS broth; then the samples were inoculated with 1mL of previous dilutions. Samples were incubated at 37 °C for 24 h and the effect of medications on autoaggregation, beta-galactosidase, protein expression, and survival rates of Bifidobacterium were determined. Our results showed a decrease in bifidobacteria population by an average of 3.0 +/- 0.25 Log CFU/mL in the presence of tested drugs. beta-Galactosidase was totally inhibited by Aspirin and Tylenol. The presence of drugs also caused variability in autoaggregation and change in the protein expression pattern. These findings suggested that intake of medications has a significant effect on the death rate of bifidobacteria, adhesion to mucosal layer, enzymatic activity, and protein expression of bifidobacteria, and therefore may affect the viability and functionality of other probiotics.