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Ferrari S, Mulè S, Parini F, Galla R, Ruga S, Rosso G, Brovero A, Molinari C, Uberti F. The influence of the gut-brain axis on anxiety and depression: A review of the literature on the use of probiotics. J Tradit Complement Med 2024; 14:237-255. [PMID: 38707924 PMCID: PMC11069002 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2024.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
This review aims to argue how using probiotics can improve anxiety and depressive behaviour without adverse effects, also exploring the impact of postbiotics on it. Specifically, probiotics have drawn more attention as effective alternative treatments, considering the rising cost of antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs and the high risk of side effects. Depression and anxiety disorders are among the most common mental illnesses in the world's population, characterised by low mood, poor general interest, and cognitive or motor dysfunction. Thus, this study analysed published literature on anxiety, depression, and probiotic supplementation from PubMed and Scopus, focusing on the last twenty years. This study focused on the effect of probiotics on mental health as they have drawn more attention because of their extensive clinical applications and positive impact on various diseases. Numerous studies have demonstrated how the gut microbiota might be critical for mood regulation and how probiotics can affect host health by regulating the gut-brain axis. By comparing the different works analysed, it was possible to identify a strategy by which they are selected and employed and, at the same time, to assess how the effect of probiotics can be optimised using postbiotics, an innovation to improve mental well-being in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ferrari
- Laboratory of Physiology, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Via So-laroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Simone Mulè
- Laboratory of Physiology, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Via So-laroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Francesca Parini
- Laboratory of Physiology, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Via So-laroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Rebecca Galla
- Laboratory of Physiology, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Via So-laroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy
- Noivita srls, spin Off, University of Piemonte Orientale, Via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Sara Ruga
- Noivita srls, spin Off, University of Piemonte Orientale, Via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Giorgia Rosso
- Laboratory of Physiology, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Via So-laroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Arianna Brovero
- Laboratory of Physiology, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Via So-laroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Claudio Molinari
- Department for Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition, Italy
| | - Francesca Uberti
- Laboratory of Physiology, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Via So-laroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy
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Thomson-Casey C, McIntyre E, Rogers K, Adams J. Practice recommendations and referrals, perceptions of efficacy and risk, and self-rated knowledge regarding complementary medicine: a survey of Australian psychologists. BMC Complement Med Ther 2024; 24:13. [PMID: 38166841 PMCID: PMC10759583 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-04288-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many people with mental health problems use a range of complementary medicine (CM), including over the counter products, practices, and utilise the services of CM practitioners. Psychologists are likely to consult with clients using CM, in some form, as part of their broader mental health care. The aim of this research was to determine the number of types of CM products, practices, and practitioners are recommended and/or referred by Australian psychologists as part of their clinical practice, as well as explore the relationship between psychologists' perspectives on the risk and relevance of engaging with CM in psychology. METHODS Survey data was collected from psychologists in clinical practice who self-selected to participate in the study via an online 79-item questionnaire exploring core aspects of CM engagement in psychology clinical practice. RESULTS Amongst the 201 psychologists, 5% reported not recommending any type of CM, with 63% recommending four or more types of CM. Further, 25% had not referred to a CM practitioner, while 33% had referred to four or more types of CM practitioner. Psychologists are recommending and referring to CM even when they perceive their knowledge of CM to be poor, and that engaging with CM was a risk. CONCLUSION This study provides insights into psychologist perceptions of CM within psychology practice and how these perceptions are associated with rates of recommending and referring to CM as part of their clinical practice. These findings may inform the development of CM relevant education and guidelines for psychologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Thomson-Casey
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
- Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Gold Coast, Australia.
| | - Erica McIntyre
- Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kris Rogers
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jon Adams
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Kumbhare SV, Pedroso I, Ugalde JA, Márquez-Miranda V, Sinha R, Almonacid DE. Drug and gut microbe relationships: Moving beyond antibiotics. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103797. [PMID: 37806386 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of drug-microbe relationships has evolved from viewing microbes as mere drug producers to a dynamic, modifiable system where they can serve as drugs or targets of precision pharmacology. This review highlights recent findings on the gut microbiome, particularly focusing on four aspects of research: (i) drugs for bugs, covering recent strategies for targeting gut pathogens; (ii) bugs as drugs, including probiotics; (iii) drugs from bugs, including postbiotics; and (iv) bugs and drugs, discussing additional types of drug-microbe interactions. This review provides a perspective on future translational research, including efficient companion diagnostics in pharmaceutical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Juan A Ugalde
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Valeria Márquez-Miranda
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
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Thomson-Casey C, McIntyre E, Rogers K, Adams J. The relationship between psychology practice and complementary medicine in Australia: Psychologists' demographics and practice characteristics regarding type of engagement across a range of complementary medicine modalities. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285050. [PMID: 37141280 PMCID: PMC10159172 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Many people with mental health problems utilise a range of complementary medicine (CM) practitioners, products, and practices. Psychologists are likely to consult with clients who are seeking and using CM, in some form, as part of their wider mental health treatment. The aim of this research is to determine how much, and in what ways, Australian psychologists recommend CM products and/or practices, and/or initiate referrals to CM practitioners as part of their clinical practice and to explore if these behaviours have any association with the characteristics of the psychologist or their wider practice. METHODS Survey data was collected from psychologists in clinical practice who self-selected to participate between February and April 2021. Participation in the study was via an online 79-item questionnaire exploring core aspects of CM engagement in psychology clinical practice. RESULTS Amongst the 202 psychologists who completed the survey, mind/body approaches (90.5%) were the most recommended CM and cultural/spiritual approaches the least recommended CM (7.5%). Participants also reported referring to CM practitioners with naturopaths the most common focus of their referrals (57.9%) and cultural and spiritual practitioners the least common focus of their referrals (6.69%). Our analysis shows the demographic and practice characteristics of a psychologist are generally not predictors of a psychologist's engagement with CM in their clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS Substantial numbers of psychologists recommend CM products and practices and/or refer clients to CM practitioners. Alongside subjecting CM interventions for mental health to an evidence-base assessment, the broader discipline of psychology needs to also consider psychologist engagement with CM in clinical practice in order to help ensure cultural-sensitivity, client safety and client choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Thomson-Casey
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Erica McIntyre
- Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kris Rogers
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jon Adams
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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De Oliveira FL, Salgaço MK, de Oliveira MT, Mesa V, Sartoratto A, Peregrino AM, Ramos WS, Sivieri K. Exploring the Potential of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 as Promising Psychobiotics Using SHIME. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15061521. [PMID: 36986251 PMCID: PMC10056475 DOI: 10.3390/nu15061521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychobiotics are probiotics that have the characteristics of modulating central nervous system (CNS) functions or reconciled actions by the gut-brain axis (GBA) through neural, humoral and metabolic pathways to improve gastrointestinal activity as well as anxiolytic and even antidepressant abilities. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 on the gut microbiota of mildly anxious adults using SHIME®. The protocol included a one-week control period and two weeks of treatment with L. helveticus R0052 and B. longum R0175. Ammonia (NH4+), short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), cytokines and microbiota composition were determined. Probiotic strains decreased significantly throughout the gastric phase. The highest survival rates were exhibited by L. helveticus R0052 (81.58%; 77.22%) after the gastric and intestinal phase when compared to B. longum (68.80%; 64.64%). At the genus level, a taxonomic assignment performed in the ascending colon in the SHIME® model showed that probiotics (7 and 14 days) significantly (p < 0.005) increased the abundance of Lactobacillus and Olsenella and significantly decreased Lachnospira and Escheria-Shigella. The probiotic treatment (7 and 14 days) decreased (p < 0.001) NH4+ production when compared to the control period. For SCFAs, we observed after probiotic treatment (14 days) an increase (p < 0.001) in acetic acid production and total SCFAs when compared to the control period. Probiotic treatment increased (p < 0.001) the secretion of anti-inflammatory (IL-6 and IL-10) and decreased (p < 0.001) pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha) when compared to the control period. The gut-brain axis plays an important role in the gut microbiota, producing SCFAs and GABA, stimulating the production of anti-anxiety homeostasis. The signature of the microbiota in anxiety disorders provides a promising direction for the prevention of mental illness and opens a new perspective for using the psychobiotic as a main actor of therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fellipe Lopes De Oliveira
- Graduate Program in Food, Nutrition, and Food Engineering, Campus Araraquara, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-060, SP, Brazil
| | - Mateus Kawata Salgaço
- Graduate Program in Food, Nutrition, and Food Engineering, Campus Araraquara, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-060, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Victoria Mesa
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM, UMR-S 1139 (3PHM), Faculty of Pharmacy, F-75006 Paris, France
- Food and Human Nutrition Research Group, School of Nutrition and Dietetics, Universidad de Antioquia (UdeA), Medellín 050010, Antioquia, Colombia
| | | | | | - Williams Santos Ramos
- APSEN Farmacêutica, Department of Medical Affairs, Santo Amaro 04753-001, SP, Brazil
| | - Katia Sivieri
- Graduate Program in Food, Nutrition, and Food Engineering, Campus Araraquara, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-060, SP, Brazil
- University of Araraquara-UNIARA, Araraquara 14801-320, SP, Brazil
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Johnson D, Letchumanan V, Thum CC, Thurairajasingam S, Lee LH. A Microbial-Based Approach to Mental Health: The Potential of Probiotics in the Treatment of Depression. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15061382. [PMID: 36986112 PMCID: PMC10053794 DOI: 10.3390/nu15061382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Probiotics are currently the subject of intensive research pursuits and also represent a multi-billion-dollar global industry given their vast potential to improve human health. In addition, mental health represents a key domain of healthcare, which currently has limited, adverse-effect prone treatment options, and probiotics may hold the potential to be a novel, customizable treatment for depression. Clinical depression is a common, potentially debilitating condition that may be amenable to a precision psychiatry-based approach utilizing probiotics. Although our understanding has not yet reached a sufficient level, this could be a therapeutic approach that can be tailored for specific individuals with their own unique set of characteristics and health issues. Scientifically, the use of probiotics as a treatment for depression has a valid basis rooted in the microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) mechanisms, which play a role in the pathophysiology of depression. In theory, probiotics appear to be ideal as adjunct therapeutics for major depressive disorder (MDD) and as stand-alone therapeutics for mild MDD and may potentially revolutionize the treatment of depressive disorders. Although there is a wide range of probiotics and an almost limitless range of therapeutic combinations, this review aims to narrow the focus to the most widely commercialized and studied strains, namely Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and to bring together the arguments for their usage in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Clinicians, scientists, and industrialists are critical stakeholders in exploring this groundbreaking concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinyadarshini Johnson
- Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbiome and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
| | - Vengadesh Letchumanan
- Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbiome and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
- Pathogen Resistome Virulome and Diagnostic Research Group (PathRiD), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
| | - Chern Choong Thum
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah, Persiaran Mardi-UPM, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
| | - Sivakumar Thurairajasingam
- Clinical School Johor Bahru, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Johor Bahru 80100, Malaysia
- Correspondence: (S.T.); or (L.-H.L.)
| | - Learn-Han Lee
- Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbiome and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
- Pathogen Resistome Virulome and Diagnostic Research Group (PathRiD), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
- Correspondence: (S.T.); or (L.-H.L.)
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The Role of Psychobiotics in Supporting the Treatment of Disturbances in the Functioning of the Nervous System-A Systematic Review. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147820. [PMID: 35887166 PMCID: PMC9319704 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress and anxiety are common phenomena that contribute to many nervous system dysfunctions. More and more research has been focusing on the importance of the gut–brain axis in the course and treatment of many diseases, including nervous system disorders. This review aims to present current knowledge on the influence of psychobiotics on the gut–brain axis based on selected diseases, i.e., Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, depression, and autism spectrum disorders. Analyses of the available research results have shown that selected probiotic bacteria affect the gut–brain axis in healthy people and people with selected diseases. Furthermore, supplementation with probiotic bacteria can decrease depressive symptoms. There is no doubt that proper supplementation improves the well-being of patients. Therefore, it can be concluded that the intestinal microbiota play a relevant role in disorders of the nervous system. The microbiota–gut–brain axis may represent a new target in the prevention and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, this topic needs more research. Such research could help find effective treatments via the modulation of the intestinal microbiome.
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