The isolated bacteria were named initially as Bacillus bifidus communis, which was later renamed to the genus Bifidobacterium. He observed that Bifidobacteria is the dominant in the gut microflora of breast fed infants and also he observed the clinical advantages in using Bifidobacteria in treating infant diarrhoea.
Alfred Nissle, German professor, during an outbreak of shigellosis in 1917, isolated a strain of Escherichia coli from faeces of a soldier who was not infected by the disease, antibiotics were not much developed during those times and Alfred Nissle used this identified strain of E.coli for the treatment of acute gastrointestinal salmonellosis and shigellosis.
Collins and Carter in 1978 demonstrated the disease resistance effect of gut microflora based on the studies in guinea pig. They showed that only 10 cells of Salmonella enteritidis killed germ free guinea pig but 109 cells was required to kill normal guinea pig with established gut micro flora. Thus the study explains there is no doubt in the ability of microbial population in the gut in rendering disease resistance to its host.
Jules Tournut, French veterinarian played an important role in popularizing probiotic concept in the field of animal