Antiviral Effect of Probiotics against Respiratory Tract Infections: A Review

Majority of the respiratory infectious diseases that are generally prevalent in Korea from autumn to winter are caused by viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus and influenza A virus. Therefore, there is rapidly rising interest in determining the antiviral effects of probiotics against respiratory viruses and elucidating the probable mechanism behind it. Various human clinical trials as well as animal experiments have shown that some probiotics potentially have antiviral activity based on their immunomodulatory effect. Hence, this review describes in detail the various possibilities of using probiotics as antiviral agents against respiratory viruses and their potential effects. Also, it provides basic data regarding the availability of different probiotics relevant for their production by dairy and food industries.