Immunomodulatory activity of heat-killed MCC1849 based on the activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells in the peripheral blood of healthy adults.

Probiotics are widely used in food for their health benefits to the host. Inactivated probiotics also reportedly improve the intestinal environment and immune regulation. Our previous studies showed that heat-killed MCC1849 (hk-MCC1849) effectively induced IL-12 production in mouse spleen cells and significantly reduced cold symptoms in clinical trial subjects.