Probiotic bifidobacterium strains

Abstract

Probiotic Bifidobacterium strain AH1205 or mutants or variants thereof are immunomodulatory following oral consumption and are useful in the prophylaxis and/or treatment of inflammatory activity such as undesirable gastrointestinal inflammatory activity for example inflammatory bowel disease.

1 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . A  Bifidobacterium  strain deposited at NCIMB with accession number NCIMB 41387 or mutants or variants thereof. 
     
     
         41 . The  Bifidobacterium  strain as claimed in  claim 40  wherein the mutant is a genetically modified mutant. 
     
     
         42 . The  Bifidobacterium  strain as claimed in  claim 40  wherein the variant is a naturally occurring variant of  Bifidobacterium.    
     
     
         43 . A  Bifidobacterium  strain with sequence homology of 96% or more, 97% or more, 98% or more, or 99% or more with a  Bifidobacterium  strain deposited at NCIMB with accession number NCIMB 41387. 
     
     
         44 . A  Bifidobacterium  strain having at least 85%, at least 90%, or at least 95% sequence homology to the 16s-23s intergenic spacer polynucleotide sequence of a  Bifidobacterium  strain deposited at NCIMB with accession number NCIMB 41387. 
     
     
         45 . The  Bifidobacterium  strain as claimed in  claim 40  which is a probiotic. 
     
     
         46 . The  Bifidobacterium  strain as claimed in  claim 40  in the form of viable cells. 
     
     
         47 . The  Bifidobacterium  strain as claimed in  claim 40  in the form of non-viable cells. 
     
     
         48 . The  Bifidobacterium  strain as claimed in  claim 40  wherein the  Bifidobacterium  is isolated from infant faeces. 
     
     
         49 . The  Bifidobacterium  strain as claimed in  claim 40  wherein the strain is significantly immunomodulatory following oral consumption in humans. 
     
     
         50 . A formulation which comprises a  Bifidobacterium  strain as claimed in  claim 40 . 
     
     
         51 . The formulation as claimed in  claim 50  which further comprises a probiotic material. 
     
     
         52 . The formulation as claimed in  claim 50  which further comprises a prebiotic material. 
     
     
         53 . The formulation as claimed in  claim 50  further comprising an ingestible carrier. 
     
     
         54 . The formulation as claimed in  claim 50  wherein the  Bifidobacterium  strain is present in an amount of more than 10 6  cfu per gram of the formulation. 
     
     
         55 . A food stuff comprising a  Bifidobacterium  strain as claimed in  claim 40 . 
     
     
         56 . A medicament comprising a  Bifidobacterium  strain as claimed in  claim 40 . 
     
     
         57 . A method for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of undesirable inflammatory activity comprising the step of administering a  Bifidobacterium  strain as claimed in  claim 40 .