The DOI matches its Crossref record; 70 of the 71 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Probiotics and colon cancer
Abstract
Although a myriad of health-promoting effects have been attributed to the probiotic lactic acid bacteria, perhaps the most interesting and controversial is that of anticancer activity, the vast majority of studies in this area dealing with protective effects against colon cancer. There is no direct experimental evidence for cancer suppression in humans as a result of the consumption of probiotic cultures in fermented or unfermented dairy products, but there is a wealth of indirect evidence, based largely on laboratory studies. Reports in the literature regarding the anticancer effects of lactic acid bacteria fall into the categories of in vitro studies, animal studies, epidemiological studies and human dietary intervention studies. Examples of these reports will be given in the current paper. The mechanisms by which probiotic bacteria may inhibit colon cancer are still poorly understood, but, several potential mechanisms are being discussed in the literature, and these will also be addressed in this review.
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“The lower pathogenic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract might be implicated in reducing harmful enzymes, such as nitroreductase, azoreductase and β-glucuronidase, which are implicated initial causes of colon cancer formation [39,40].”
From Bioprophylactic potential of novel human colostrum probiotics via apoptotic induction of colon cancer cells and cell immune activation (2022) · cites this paper as [40]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Rafter, J.
- Affiliations
- Karolinska Institutet (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Rafter, Joseph
- Venue
- Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2003-10
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 849-859
- ISSN
- 1521-6918 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2062681903
- Cited by
- 208
- References
- 71
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 1.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biotechnology › Bacterial Cancer Therapy
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Keywords
- probiotics, lactic acid bacteria, colon cancer, anticancer activity, chemoprevention, fermented dairy products, dietary intervention
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Colonic Neoplasms, Humans, Intestines, Lactobacillus, Probiotics
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