Les probiotiques sont des microorganismes vivants qui, lorsqu’ils sont ingérés en quantité adéquate, peuvent exercer des propriétés bénéfiques sur la santé de l’hôte. Les souches de Bacillus utilisées en tant que probiotiques ne sont pas colonisatrices du tractus intestinal, mais sont des résidents transitoires du microbiote. Ce travail fait l’investigation in vitro de l’association, qualifiée de synbiotique, entre une souche probiotique de Bacillus subtilis et une source carbonée prébiotique, composé alimentaire peu digéré par les enzymes intestinales mais utilisable par les bactéries dans l’intestin. L’étude de cette association met en évidence la capacité de la souche à utiliser les isomaltooligosaccharides (IMOS) prébiotiques comme unique substrat carboné. L’effet positif de ce substrat sur la tolérance à la bile de la souche a été démontré in vitro. Les résultats d’une analyse protéomique faisant l’étude des enzymes clés impliquées dans le métabolisme des IMOS, ainsi que d’autres biomarqueurs d’intérêt probiotique, sont en cours d’exploitation. Ce travail préliminaire d’investigation de l’association synbiotique entre les IMOS prébiotiques et la souche probiotique B. subtilis, aboutira à des essais in vivo. Les effets bénéfiques des probiotiques du genre Bacillus, notamment au niveau de la modulation du système immunitaire, résultent de l’interaction entre les molécules de la surface bactérienne et les cellules de l’intestin. Les mécanismes moléculaires à l’origine de l’immunomodulation sont mal connus, alors que leur compréhension est nécessaire à l’optimisation de l’utilisation du probiotique. Un deuxième volet de ce travail concerne la comparaison des structures d’entités moléculaires de surface de trois Bacilli probiotiques, les acides lipotéichoïques (LTAs), et leurs activités immunologiques respectives. Une étude structurale des LTAs par des méthodes biochimiques et par RMN a permis de mettre en évidence la diversité structurale au sein du même genre Bacillus. Le rôle clé de la D-alanine dans l’activité biologique de ces antigènes bactériens a été démontré. / Probiotics are live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. Bacillus probiotic strains are not able to colonize the gut, and are considered as transient residents of the microbiota. Prebiotic are non-digestible food ingredients that could stimulate growth of bacteria in the gut. This work investigates the in vitro effect of a prebiotic isomaltooligosaccharide (IMOS) on the growth of a probiotic strain Bacillus subtilis. This study highlights the ability of the strain to use IMOS as unique carbon source. A comparative proteomic analysis investigates the main enzymes implicated in the prebiotic metabolism, and biomarkers possibly involved in probiotic effects. This preliminary work, which studies the synbiotic association between a probiotic and a prebiotic, will lead to in vivo assays. Beneficial effects of probiotic Bacilli, mainly modulation of intestinal immune system, result from interaction between bacterial cell-wall molecules and intestinal cells. The molecular origin of immunomodulatory mechanisms are poorly understood, while understanding is needed to optimize the use of probiotics. A second part of this work consists in comparing the structure of a molecular cell-wall component named lipoteichoic acids (LTA) from three Bacillus probiotic, a molecular cell-wall component of Gram positive bacteria, and their immunological activity. A structural study, using biochemical determinations and NMR spectroscopic analysis, highlights the structural diversity between LTAs from different Bacillus species. The key role of D-alanine substituents in the biological activity of these bacterial antigens has been demonstrated.

The aim of present work is cultivation of probiotic bacteria L. acidophilus, B. breve and B. longum in such a way that the culture forms cells clusters or comprehensive biofilm on the variety of free carriers. Biofilm formation of L. acidophilus on the silica from point of view bile and acid tolerance in gastrointestinal tract was studied. While the number of living cells in planktonic form (planktonic form) at pH 1 fell by 30 %, the viability of the biofilm cells was maintained to 90 % under the same environmental conditions. The biofilm culture showed also the protection against environment contained bile. Furthermore, the possibilities of drying procedures of biofilm cultures used as commercial technologies in pharmaceutical industry were studied. The comparison of freeze-drying and fluidization bed drying showed, that freeze-drying is more suitable method, which is able to achieve higher amount of viable cells after drying than fluidization bed drying. The effectivity of freeze-drying method is dependent on the selection of suitable cryprotective medium. In this case, about 90 % higher viability after freeze drying was achieved in comparison with fluidization bed drying. Finally, the industrial processing of probiotic strains into the solid dosage form was studied. Tablets should be produced at hardness between 70 and 90 N and water activity of tablet mixture can be maintained below 0.3. Consequently, the drying step of the tablets in a hermetically closed space with at least 10 % of silica gel must be ensured. Thereafter, the tablets contain (5.4 ± 0.7)109 viable cells after 6 months of drying process. Capsule production technology has no significant effect on the cell‘s viability during production. The triplex blistering foil for primary blistering of probiotic capsules was chosen. The triplex foil, which has low values of water vapour transition rate (0.07 g H2O / (m2 × day) and oxygen transition rate (0.01 cm3/m2 × day), was chosen. Other studied blistering foils commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry are not suitable for long storage of solid dosage forms contained probiotics.