Treatment of Ibd and Ibs Using Both Probiotic Bacteria and Fermented Cereal as Treatment Effectors

Abstract

The invention covers a novel treatment strategy that considerably improves conventional probiotic treatments of inflammatory bowel diseases, irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal disorders. Both probiotic microorganisms and the carrier of the probiotic microorganisms in form of a fermented cereal gruel are used as treatment effectors. Phospholipids may also be an effecter. The novel treatment strategy is capable of removing the symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases regardless of a mild, moderate or severe stage of the disease.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to the treatment and maintenance treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS). In particular, it concerns the use of both fermented cereals and probiotic, preferably anti-inflammatory, microorganisms as treatment effectors for combating IBD and IBS in a novel treatment concept. The invention further concerns the use of phospholipid as a third treatment effecter.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's Disease (CD) are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) characterized by chronic inflammation in the intestines. UC occurs in the colon while CD may be present in the entire gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The clinical symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal pain, occasional rectal bleeding, weight loss, tiredness and sometimes fever. Although occurring at any age, IBD is most common in teenagers and young adults, which consequently may suffer from delayed development and stun...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0027]In a further aspect of the present invention it has been realised that in order to secure a beneficial effect of the fermented cereal and the probiotic microorganisms, intake of substances which disturb the desired effect should be avoided during the treatment. Such substances may promote the growth of intestinal pro-inflammatory microorganisms present in the patients before and during the treatment or stimulate immunological reactions in the intestines, which is unfavourable to the medical treatment. Examples of such harmful substances are easily fermentable sugars present in e.g. fruit drinks, fruit pulp, dried or processed fruit and the like and milk and milk products.

[0028]The present invention thus concerns the use of i) high doses of a fermented cereal and ii) high doses of probiotic microorganisms in a novel treatment strategy that considerably improves the conventional probiotic treatments of IBD and IBS patients. The fermented cereal negatively change the growth and life maintenance conditions for the residing microorganisms in the intestine of IBD and IBS patient while the supply of probiotics provides anti-inflammatory inducing microorganisms to displace pro-inflammatory inducing microorganisms from the original microflora, which have less favourable conditions in the fermented cereal. The probiotic microorganisms are adapted to the environment in the fermented cereal composition prior to administration to the patients. In addition, phospholipids, in particular phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine may be used to further improve the treatment effect by building up or strengthen the functional mucus layer in the intestines. The novel treatment strategy may be applied alone or in combination with the administration of conventional medicines like 5 ASA and corticosteroids.

[0031]When phospholipids are a part of the treatment regime, the daily intake is at least 0.1 g phophatidylcholine, preferably more than 0.5 g and most preferably more than 1 g per day. The phospholipids may be added as a commercial lecithin product. When using the ready to use product without added lecithin, fluctuations between a state of obvious IBD-symptoms and remission have been observed for patients for up to week number 12 in the treatment period. In contrast, treatment with the ready to use product containing added lecithin has shown a more stable remission and in some cases a faster remission during the treatment period.

[0034]The duration of the treatment is dependent on each individual patient and the stage of the disease. The typical treatment periods range from one to 25 weeks but there is no limitation. A continued treatment for a certain period after remission appears to provide better long term effects.

Problems solved by technology

The previously described treatments of gastrointestinal disease such as IBD and IBS using probiotics have not proven sufficiently beneficial and therefore need to be improved in order to be a serious supplement or even an alternative to traditional treatment with chemical substances.