ABSTRACT
B. R. Goldin and S. L. Gorbach found that feeding of viable cultures of Lactobacillus acidophilus as supplements to rats significantly lowered the activity of fecal bacterial ß-glucuronidase, nitroreductase, and azoreductase in rats consuming meat diets. In this chapter, the authors interpreted that L. acidophilus has a beneficial effect on the intestinal microecological profile which favored the suppression of putrefactive organisms presumably involved in the production of putative carcinogens. There is no direct epidemiologic evidence supporting the experimentally observed anticarcinogenic activity of fermented milk. Clearly, undertaking a major epidemiological study in the area would be helpful to corroborate the compelling evidence from experimental work indicating antineoplastic activity of fermented milk products. The authors concluded that the antitumor activity of L. casei used in the study was macrophage dependent. Mitsuoka suggested that lactobacilli inhibit carcinogenesis by inactivating or inhibiting the formation of carcinogenic compound and by stimulating host's immune mechanism.
