Abstract

Probiotics has been prescribed for various medical purposes. The benefit of using probiotics has been clarified in antibiotics associated diarrhea, travelers' diarrhea, acute diarrhea, diarrhea in the pediatric field, functional diarrhea and some part of inflammatory bowel disease. However, the mechanism of action of probiotics is still in the investigation. Its functions of excreting bacterial products, adhesion to bowel wall, competition with other bacteria, and promoting mucin secretion from bowel mucosa have been discussed as the mechanism of action of probiotics. Recently the immune modulation of probiotics started to be regarded as the main part of its mechanism of action. Probiotics may produce its immune modulation by modifying the activation of Toll-like receptor: the main receptor of inducing innate immunity. (Intestinal Research 2004;2:5-10)

• Keywords: Probiotics, Intestinal homeostasis, Diarrhea