Evaluation of the Effect of Food Products Containing Prebiotics and _Bacillus subtilis_ HU58 on the Gut Microbial Community Activity and Community Composition Using an In Vitro M-SHIME(r) Model  
Probiotics, defined by The Food Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization as \"live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit to the host\", are often consumed as functional foods or supplements. The benefits of probiotics may include manipulation of intestinal microbial communities, suppression of pathogens, immunomododulation, stimulation of epithelial proliferation and differentiation, and improvement of gut barrier function [7; 8]. Synbiotics are a combination of prebiotics and probiotics, and therefore have properties of both [9]. As such, they are expected to have a superior effect over separate use of prebiotics or probiotics. Several clinical trials have reported benefits of synbiotics in patients who are obese and those with insulin resistance syndrome, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, atopic dermatitis, or a variety of gastrointestinal disorders including irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease (reviewed in [PERSON] and [PERSON] [9]). While there is no universal definition for functional foods, the term was first introduced in Japan [10] and has subsequently been defined by several organizations, including the International Food Informational Council, which defines it as 'foods that may provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition' [11] and the American Dietetic Association which defines it as 'foods that provide additional health benefits that may reduce disease risk and/or promote optimal health' [12]. Traditional functional foods include yogurt, natto, kimchi, and many others. Functional foods often contain prebiotics or probiotics, and many contain both. The health benefits of many of these functional foods have been studied and include increased production of SCFAs, improvement of intestinal health, and supporting the growth of bacteria that are considered to provide health benefits, including _Lactobacillus_ and those considered as _Lactobacillus_, _Latialobacillus_, _Lentilactobacillus_, _Lacticasebacillus_, and _Lactplantribacillus_[13; 14; 15; 16] according to a recently proposed reclassification of the genus _Lactobacillus_[17]. GoodBiome(tm) Foods is a collection of prebiotic and probiotic infused foods that are expected to confer health benefits when consumed since they contain both prebiotics (insulin, xylooligosaccharides, and others) and the probiotic _Bacillus subtilis_ HU58. _Bacillus_ spp. are highly resistant to desiccation and heat and are stable over a wide range of pHs, which make them quite suitable for use as probiotics [18]. _B. subtilis_ HU58 has been shown to be resistant to gastric fluids, to undergo rapid sporulation, and to form biofilms [19]. In clinical trials, treatment with probiotic _Bacillus_ spp. has improved acute diarrhea [20], reduced the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhea [21], reduced bloating, pain, and discomfort among patients with irritable bowel syndrome [22; 23; 24], and shown some immune effects in healthy volunteers [25; 26]. Treatment with _B. subtilis_ HU58, in combination with other probiotic strains, has resulted in health benefits in both humans and animals [27; 28; 29; 30]. In-vitro studies using probiotic treatments that include _B. subtilis_ HU58 have reported increased levels of SCFAs, increased relative abundance of beneficial microbial families, increased microbial diversity [31], and potential benefits to microbial community recovery after antibiotic exposure [32] with treatment versus untreated control.