Effect of Daily Intake of Lactobacillus casei on Microbial Diversity and Dynamics in a Healthy Pediatric Population

Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of the effects of synbiotics, probiotics, or prebiotics in controlling glucose homeostasis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients

Background: Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics have been suggested as a possible therapy for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, their efficacy in improving blood glucose levels in NAFLD patients remains uncertain. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of supplementation with probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics on fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels in NAFLD patients. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for relevant trials published up to March 2024. Out of 3369 identified studies, 24 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. Results: Probiotic, prebiotic, or synbiotic supplementation substantially reduced FBG (n = 23; standard mean difference (SMD) = -0.17; 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.30, -0.03; P = 0.02), fasting insulin levels (n = 12; SMD = -0.28; 95% CI: -0.49, -0.07; P = 0.01), and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; n = 14; SMD = -0.28; 95% CI: -0.47, -0.09; P = 0.004). However, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c; n = 3; SMD = -0.17; 95% CI: -0.48, 0.13; P = 0.27) was not significantly affected. The FBG-decreasing effect diminished as the body mass index (BMI) of volunteers increased in the baseline. Additionally, the number of probiotic strains and geographic region were shown to significantly affect FBG levels. Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicates that supplementation with probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics may aid in controlling glucose homeostasis in patients with NAFLD.

Dietary intervention with edible film-coated multistrain probiotic Lacticaseibacilli in nondairy food matrices significantly increased the recovery of fecal viable Lacticaseibacilli and improved the performance of several colonic biomarkers among slightly malnourished preschool children

Probiotic enriched dairy products are widely consumed in Western countries for their beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal tract and overall health. The present study aims to investigate the beneficial effects of probiotic Lacticaseibacilli (LAB) strains in non-dairy food matrices. A blend of edible film-coated probiotic LAB, L. plantarum, L. paracasei, and L. rhamnosus, were incorporated into plain biscuits and dry dates. Design of the randomized controlled study: Children of both sexes (mean age 55.7 ± 14.5 months) attending kindergarten in Tersa, a poor urban Giza district, were recruited and randomized into 5 groups of equal numbers. Treatment groups: (1) placebo biscuits, (2) functional probiotic biscuits (0.18 billion colony forming units (cfu) of LAB) (3) functional probiotic + inulin biscuits (0.2 billion cfu of LAB + 2 g of chicory inulin); (4) placebo dates and (5) functional probiotic dates (0.3 billion cfu of viable multistrain LAB). The supplements were served 5 days a week and each child had to consume 21 servings of the supplement. The primary outcome was an increase in the fecal recovery of viable LAB after the intake of 21 servings (T1) compared to the respective baseline counts (T0). The secondary outcomes include the determination of fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and secretory immunoglobulin A (s-Ig A) using ELISA and fecal ammonia excretion. Results: Statistically significant % increases in the recoveries of fecal viable LAB were found among the children consuming 21 servings of supplements 2, 3, and 5 compared to the respective count at T0. Similar significant increases were found in the fecal concentrations of SCFA and s-Ig A among the children consuming 21 servings of supplements 2, 3 and 5 compared to the respective counts at T0. On the other hand, the concentration of toxic ammonia excretion decreased significantly in the feces of all children consuming probiotic-containing supplements (groups 2, 3, and 5) at T1 compared to the respective concentrations obtained at T0. Conclusion: Multistrain microencapsulated probiotic Lacticaseibacilli in functional biscuits and dry dates successfully tolerated the acidic gastric transit and exerted their bioactive action on the colonic microbiome. The synbiotic supplement exhibited a higher production rate of colonic SCFA. Probiotic-enriched products that confer definitive health benefits are convenient and do not need to be kept under refrigeration. Manipulating the composition and function of the microbiome in childhood through probiotic/+ prebiotic interventions is cost-effective with long-term beneficial health outcomes. This study was approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee, National Research Center and registered as Clinical Trial 16/422. Written informed consent was obtained from the mothers of all participating children.

Colonization Ability and Impact on Human Gut Microbiota of Foodborne Microbes From Traditional or Probiotic-Added Fermented Foods: A Systematic Review

A large subset of fermented foods act as vehicles of live environmental microbes, which often contribute food quality assets to the overall diet, such as health-associated microbial metabolites. Foodborne microorganisms also carry the potential to interact with the human gut microbiome via the food chain. However, scientific results describing the microbial flow connecting such different microbiomes as well as their impact on human health, are still fragmented. The aim of this systematic review is to provide a knowledge-base about the scientific literature addressing the connection between foodborne and gut microbiomes, as well as to identify gaps where more research is needed to clarify and map gut microorganisms originating from fermented foods, either traditional or added with probiotics, their possible impact on human gut microbiota composition and to which extent foodborne microbes might be able to colonize the gut environment. An additional aim was also to highlight experimental approaches and study designs which could be better standardized to improve comparative analysis of published datasets. Overall, the results presented in this systematic review suggest that a complex interplay between food and gut microbiota is indeed occurring, although the possible mechanisms for this interaction, as well as how it can impact human health, still remain a puzzling picture. Further research employing standardized and trans-disciplinary approaches aimed at understanding how fermented foods can be tailored to positively influence human gut microbiota and, in turn, host health, are therefore of pivotal importance.

The Effect of Lactobacillus casei Consumption in Improvement of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: an Animal Study

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an important neuropsychiatric disorder worldwide. Common treatments of OCD include serotonergic antidepressants, which can cause potentially serious side effects. We assessed the effects of Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) Shirota consumption in an animal model of OCD. OCD-like symptoms were induced in rats by the chronic injection of the D2/D3 dopamine agonist quinpirole hydrochloride. Rats were classified into five groups of 6 rats. Four groups were injected chronically with quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg, twice weekly for 5 weeks). They were fed with L. casei Shirota (10⁹ CF/g, daily for 4 weeks) (group 1), fluoxetine (10 mg/kg, daily for 4 weeks) (group 2), combination of L. casei Shirota and fluoxetine (group 3), and normal saline (positive control group). The last group did not receive dopamine agonist and was only injected with saline (negative control group). Expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), solute carrier family 6 member 4 (Slc6a4), and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor type 2A (Htr2a) were assessed in orbitofrontal cortex tissues of all rats. Behavioral tests showed improvement of OCD signs in rats treated with L. casei Shirota, fluoxetine, and a combination of drugs. Quantitative PCR analysis showed a remarkable decrease in the expression of Bdnf and an increase in the expression of Htr2a in quinpirole-treated rats. After treatment with L. casei Shirota and fluoxetine, the expression level of Bdnf was increased remarkably, whereas Htr2a expression was decreased. The current study showed the effectiveness of L. casei Shirota in the treatment of OCD in a rat model. The beneficial effects of this probiotic are possibly exerted through the modulation of serotonin-related genes expression.

Culturable micro-organisms in human milk were found to be associated with maternal weight, diet and age during early lactation

AIMS

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of maternal factors on the total plate count, Staphylococci, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria populations in the milk of lactating Filipino women for the first 4 months of lactation period.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Milk samples (n = 136), 24 h diet recalls and responses from a qualitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) were collected from 34 healthy lactating women classified according to their BMI: underweight (n = 7), normal weight (n = 16) and overweight (n = 11). The FFQ was useful in assessing prebiotic and probiotic food items consumed by the participants. Microbial populations were enumerated using culture-plating method, and showed a nonsignificant decreasing trend suggesting their relative stability throughout the first 4 months of lactation. Carbohydrate and fat intakes were associated with TPC, and with both TPC and Staphylococci respectively (P ≤ 0·05); and consumption of root crop is linked with Staphylococci, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria (P ≤ 0·05). Interestingly, age was found to be a positive determinant for Bifidobacteria (P = 0·00), whereas being normal- or overweight as negative determinants of Lactobacilli (P = 0·017). Consumption of milk also seems to positively influence both Lactobacilli (P = 0·00) and Bifidobacteria (P = 0·05) counts.

CONCLUSIONS

Certain populations of culturable micro-organisms were found to be associated with maternal diet, weight classification and age.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study offered new discoveries in the recently growing endeavor on the role of maternal factors in modulating certain microbial populations in human milk. Ultimately, the findings of this study could provide a basis in crafting lactation policies and guidelines that may help enhance the microbial quality of human milk through adjustments in maternal diet or weight during lactation.

The food-gut axis: lactic acid bacteria and their link to food, the gut microbiome and human health

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are present in foods, the environment and the animal gut, although fermented foods (FFs) are recognized as the primary niche of LAB activity. Several LAB strains have been studied for their health-promoting properties and are employed as probiotics. FFs are recognized for their potential beneficial effects, which we review in this article. They are also an important source of LAB, which are ingested daily upon FF consumption. In this review, we describe the diversity of LAB and their occurrence in food as well as the gut microbiome. We discuss the opportunities to study LAB diversity and functional properties by considering the availability of both genomic and metagenomic data in public repositories, as well as the different latest computational tools for data analysis. In addition, we discuss the role of LAB as potential probiotics by reporting the prevalence of key genomic features in public genomes and by surveying the outcomes of LAB use in clinical trials involving human subjects. Finally, we highlight the need for further studies aimed at improving our knowledge of the link between LAB-fermented foods and the human gut from the perspective of health promotion.

The Preventive Effect of Lactoferrin-Containing Yogurt on Gastroenteritis in Nursery School Children-Intervention Study for 15 Weeks

To evaluate the effects of bovine lactoferrin (LF)-containing yogurt on gastroenteritis in nursery school children during the winter season, we conducted a randomized prospective study. A total of 1296 children were randomized into a group in which LF was provided in yogurt (LF group, n = 661) and a non-LF consumption group (control group, n = 635). The LF group was given LF-containing yogurt (100 mg/day) on all 5 weekdays for approximately 15 weeks, and the control group consumed fruit jelly instead of the yogurt. The final totals of 578 children as the LF group and 584 as the control group were analyzed. The total number of children who were absent from school due to vomiting was significantly lower in the LF group compared to the control, accounting for ≥3 days in any week: 10/234 (4.3%) vs. 49/584 (8.4%), respectively; p = 0.04. Regarding the relationship between absences due to vomiting and the consumption of the LF-containing yogurt, the adjusted odds ratio for absence due to vomiting was 2.48 (95% CI: 1.19–5.14) in the LF children who consumed LF-containing yogurt ≤2 days/week compared to the LF children who consumed the yogurt ≥ 3 days/week. The consumption of LF-containing yogurt (100 mg/day) for ≥3 days/week might help alleviate the symptom of vomiting in nursery school children during the winter.

Microbiome Composition in Pediatric Populations from Birth to Adolescence: Impact of Diet and Prebiotic and Probiotic Interventions

Diet is a key regulator of microbiome structure and function across the lifespan. Microbial colonization in the first year of life has been actively researched; however, studies during childhood are sparse. Herein, the impact of dietary intake and pre- and probiotic interventions on microbiome composition of healthy infants and children from birth to adolescence is discussed. The microbiome of breastfed infants has lower microbial diversity and richness, higher Proteobacteria, and lower Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes than those formula-fed. As children consume more complex diets, associations between dietary patterns and the microbiota emerge. Like adults, the microbiota of children consuming a Western-style diet is associated with greater Bacteroidaceae and Ruminococcaceae and lower Prevotellaceae. Dietary fibers and pre- or/and probiotics have been tested to modulate the gut microbiota in early life. Human milk oligosaccharides and prebiotics added to infant formula are bifidogenic and decrease pathogens. In children, prebiotics, such as inulin, increase Bifidobacterium abundance and dietary fibers reduce fecal pH and increase alpha diversity and calcium absorption. Probiotics have been administered to the mother during pregnancy and breastfeeding or directly to the infant/child. Findings on maternal probiotic administration on bacterial taxa are inconsistent. When given directly to the infant/child, some changes in individual taxa are observed, but rarely is overall alpha or beta diversity affected. Cesarean-delivered infants appear to benefit to a greater degree than those born vaginally. Infancy and childhood represent an opportunity to beneficially manipulate the microbiome through dietary or prebiotic interventions, which has the potential to affect both short- and long-term health outcomes.