Increasing B vitamins in food to prevent intestinal inflammation and cancer

Abstract

Vitamins are micronutrients normally present in a variety of foods; however vitamin deficiency is still a problem in many countries because of a suboptimal intakes. Vitamin producing-microorganisms appear as an alternative to chemical fortification in order to obtain foods that are naturally bioenriched. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) producing B vitamins are used as strategy to increase riboflavin and folate content in foods improving their nutritional value, and allow the development of novel functional foods. Certain vitamins have shown protective effects in chronic pathological conditions such as intestinal inflammations, colorectal cancer and also in intestinal mucositis associated with oncological therapy. Riboflavin-producing LAB have been evaluated in experimental animal models of colitis and intestinal mucositis and showed promising results. Foods such as milk and dairy products containing vitamin-producing LAB could be used to complement conventional treatments for patients suffering these pathologies in addition to improve their vitamin intake.