Immune system stimulating nutrition

Abstract

Disclosed is a nutritional composition comprising a combination of non-digestible oligosaccharides and a product obtained by incubating an aqueous substrate by bifidobacteria and optionally a product obtained by incubating an aqueous substrate by S. thermophilus. Said combination synergistically improves the immune system by stimulating the Th1 response, and/or decreasing the Th2 response, improving the vaccination response, improving the resistance against infections and/or decreasing allergy.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A process for the manufacture of a preparation, comprising:
 (a) incubating bifidobacteria with at least one aqueous substrate selected from the group consisting of milk, milk protein, whey, whey protein, whey protein hydrolysate, casein hydrolysate, and lactose to obtain a first incubated mixture;   (b) combining the incubated mixture with at least two different non-digestible carbohydrates, at least one of which is selected from the group consisting of fructo-oligosaccharides, galacto-oligosaccharides, gluco-oligosaccharides, arabino-oligosaccharides, mannan-oligosaccharides, xylo-oligosaccharides, fuco-oligosaccharides, arabinogalacto-oligosaccharides, glucomanno-oligosaccharides, galactomanno-oligosaccharides, raffinose, lactosucrose, sialic acid comprising oligosaccharides and uronic acid oligosaccharides.   
     
     
         23 . The process according to  claim 22 , further comprising inactivating and/or removing the bifidobacteria from the first incubated mixture. 
     
     
         24 . The process according to  claim 23 , wherein the bifidobacteria are inactivated by heating the first incubated mixture. 
     
     
         25 . The process according to  claim 23 , wherein the bifidobacteria are removed from the first incubated mixture by centrifugation, filtration, or both. 
     
     
         26 . The process according to  claim 22 , wherein two of the at least two different non-digestible carbohydrates, are selected from the group consisting of fructo-oligosaccharides, galacto-oligosaccharides, gluco-oligosaccharides, arabino-oligosaccharides, mannan-oligosaccharides, xylo-oligosaccharides, fuco-oligosaccharides, arabinogalacto-ologosaccharides, glucomanno-oligosaccharides, galactomanno-oligosaccharides, raffinose, lactosucrose, sialic acid comprising oligosaccharides and uronic acid oligosaccharides. 
     
     
         27 . The process according to  claim 22 , wherein the bifidobacteria belong to species  B. breve.    
     
     
         28 . The process according to  claim 27 , wherein the species  B. breve  comprises strain  B. breve  CNCM I-2219. 
     
     
         29 . The process according  claim 22 , further comprising:
 (i) incubating  Streptococcus thermophilus,  with a substrate selected from the group consisting of milk, milk protein, whey, whey protein, whey protein hydrolysate, casein, casein hydrolysate, and lactose, to obtain a second incubated mixture;   (ii) optionally inactivating the  S. thermophilus  by heating the second incubated mixture of (i) and/or removing  S. thermophilus  by centrifugation, filtration or both; and   (iii) combining the first and second incubated mixtures.   
     
     
         30 . The process according to  claim 29 , wherein the  Streptococcus thermophilus  comprises strain  S. thermophilus  CNCM I-1620. 
     
     
         31 . The process according to  claim 22 , wherein one or both of the at least two different non-digestible carbohydrates are selected from the group consisting of galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides. 
     
     
         32 . The process according to  claim 22 , further comprising inoculating the substrate with bifidobacteria in amount of between 1×10 2  to 1×10 11  cfu per ml substrate at a temperature of between 20° C. to 50° C., for at least 2 h and at a pH of between 4 and 8. 
     
     
         33 . The process according to  claim 29 , further comprising inoculating the substrate of (i) with Streptococci in amount of between 1×10 2  to 1×10 11  cfu per ml substrate at a temperature of between 20° C. to 50° C., for at least 2 h and at a pH of between 4 and 8. 
     
     
         34 . The process according to  claim 29 , wherein the first or the second incubated mixtures are inactivated by heating for at least 5 minutes at a temperature above 50° C. 
     
     
         35 . The process according to  claim 22 , further comprising a drying step. 
     
     
         36 . The process according to  claim 22 , wherein only one non-digestible carbohydrate is added, said non digestible carbohydrate being fructo-oligosaccharide. 
     
     
         37 . A nutritional composition obtained by the process of  claim 22 . 
     
     
         38 . The nutritional composition according to  claim 37 , having a viscosity of 1 to 60 mPa·s at a shear rate of 100 s −1  at 20° C. 
     
     
         39 . A nutritional composition comprising, based on total dry weight of the composition:
 (a) 0.5 to 10 wt. % of the sum of galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides, and   (b) 5 to 99.5 wt. % of the preparation obtained by the process of  claim 22 , wherein the bifidobacteria in step a belong to the species  B. breve.      
     
     
         40 . The nutritional composition of  claim 39 , further comprising (c) 2 to 94.5 wt. % the preparation obtained by:
 (i) incubating  Streptococcus thermophilus,  with a substrate selected from the group consisting of milk, milk protein, whey, whey protein, whey protein hydrolysate, casein, casein hydrolysate, and lactose, to obtain a second incubated mixture;   (ii) optionally inactivating the  S. thermophilus  by heating the second incubated mixture of (i) and/or removing  S. thermophilus  by centrifugation, filtration or both; and   (iii) combining the first and second incubated mixtures.   
     
     
         41 . The nutritional composition according to  claim 39 , comprising less than 10 3  du living bifidobacteria per g dry weight of the preparation. 
     
     
         42 . A method of treating a disease and/or infection and/or enhancing response to vaccination, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a composition according to  claim 39 . 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 38 , wherein the disease is an immune disorder selected from the group consisting of asthma, allergy, atopic dermatitis, allergic conjunctivitis, dust mite allergy, urticaria and allergic rhinitis. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein the subject suffers from at least one of the following: (a) immunosenescence, (b) HIV and/or AIDS, (c) cancer, (d) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (e) diabetes.