Investigating the effects of Lactobacillus casei on some biochemical parameters in diabetic mice

Effect of probiotics on glycemic control and lipid profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, double blind, controlled trial

Introduction

This double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized (1:1) clinical trial was conducted at the West China Hospital, Sichuan University, from March to September 2017.

Methods

Eligible participants included adults aged 18 years and older, living in the community, diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus according to ADA guidelines, capable of self-managing their diabetes, and able to visit the study site for follow-up. The intervention group received 25 ml of a probiotic beverage containing with over 10^8 CFU/mL of Lactobacillus, administered four times daily. An equal volume of inactivated Lactobacillus was administered to the control group and the control group was administered the same volume of inactivated Lactobacillus. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of probiotics on glycemic control and other diabetes-related outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes patients. The primary outcomes were changes in HbA1c and FBG levels post-intervention. Investigators, participants, and study site personnel were blinded to the treatment allocation until the conclusion of the study. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-POR-17010850).

Results

Of the 490 participants screened, 213 were randomized to either the probiotics group (n = 103) or the placebo group (n = 110). After 16 weeks of follow-up, the probiotic group showed reductions in HbA1c [-0.44 (-0.66 to -0.22)] and FBG [-0.97 (-1.49 to 0.46)] post-intervention, similar to the placebo group with reductions in HbA1c [-0.33 (-0.52 to -0.15)] and FBG [-0.90 (-1.32 to -0.47)], but these changes were not statistically significant in PP and ITT analyses (P>0.05). Adverse events were similarly distributed among groups, indicating comparable safety profiles.

Discussion

Overall, 16-week probiotic supplementation showed no beneficial effects on glycemic control, lipid profiles, or weight.

Clinical Trial Registration

https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=18421, identifier ChiCTR-POR-17010850.

Gut Dysbiosis and Diabetic Foot Ulcer: Role of Probiotics

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a multifactorial disease and one of the complications of diabetes. The global burden of DFU in the health sector is increasing at a tremendous rate due to its cost management related to hospitalization, medical costs and foot amputation. Hence, to manage DFU/DWs, various attempts have been made, including treating wounds systematically/topically using synthetic drugs, herbal drugs, or tissue engineering based surgical dressings. However, less attention has been paid to the intrinsic factors that are also the leading cause of diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications. One such factor is gut dysbiosis, which is one of the major causes of enhancing the counts of Gram-negative bacteria. These bacteria produce lipopolysaccharides, which are a major contributing factor toward insulin resistance and inflammation due to the generation of oxidative stress and immunopathy. These all lead to DM and DFU. Probiotics are the commercial form of beneficial gut microbes that are taken as nutraceuticals by people of all ages to improve gut immunity and prevent gut dysbiosis. However, the role of probiotics has been less explored in the management of DFU. Hence, the therapeutic potential of probiotics in managing DFU is fully described in the current review. This report covers the linkage between gut dysbiosis and DFU, sources of probiotics, the mechanisms of probiotics in DW healing, and the impact of probiotic supplementation in treating DFU. In addition, techniques for the stabilization of probiotics, market status, and patents related to probiotics have been also covered. The relevant data were gathered from PubMed, Scopus, Taylor and Francis, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Our systematic review discusses the utilization of probiotic supplementation as a nutraceutical for the management of DFU.

Protective and therapeutic effects of two novel strains of Lactobacilli on diabetes-associated disorders induced by a high level of fructose

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder described as insufficient secretion of insulin in the pancreas or the inability of the existing insulin to function properly. It poses a greater risk on human health as it is considered the base of several diseases. Thus, this study was designed to evaluate two novel strains of Lactobacillus in handling pancreas disorders. 50 BALB/c male mice were divided into five groups; (a) feeding on normal diet only as control group, (b) given 21% fructose in drinking water as diabetes group, (c) feeding on Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain Pro2 (MT505335.1) plus 21% fructose as LR group, (d) feeding on Lactobacillus plantarum strain Pro1 (MT505334.1) plus 21% fructose as LP group and (e) mixture of two strains plus 21% fructose as Mix group. The serum content of glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was determined. Pancreases histopathology was examined. Expression of GH, IGF1, and GLP-1 genes was measured in the liver and pancreas by RT-qPCR. Serum content of glucose, ALT, and AST significantly increased in diabetes group, and significantly reduced in (LP) and (Mix) groups compared with control. Pathological changes occurred in the exocrine and endocrine components of the diabetes group pancreas. Besides, islet cells are almost entirely disturbed and acinar cells degenerated. However, in (LP) and (Mix) groups, the pathological changes significantly decreased and became related to the control group. Expression of GH, IGF1, and GLP-1 genes was significantly downregulated in the liver and pancreas of mice given fructose compared with control. Expression of these genes was either significantly upregulated in groups (LP and Mix) or identical to the control group. This study shows that the strain Pro1 (MT505334.1) or a combination of two strains is useful in reducing diabetic risk.

Three Types of Beetroot Products Enriched with Lactic Acid Bacteria

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) represents a very rich source of bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds and carotenoids, among which the most important being betalains, mainly betacyanins and betaxanthins. The beetroot matrix was used in a fresh or dried form or as lyophilized powder. A 10¹² CFU/g inoculum of Lactobacillus plantarum MIUG BL3 culture was sprayed on the vegetal tissue. The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) viability for all the products was evaluated over 21 days, by microbiological culture methods. The antioxidant activity of the obtained food products was correlated to the betalains content and the viability of LAB. The content of polyphenolic compounds varied between 225.7 and 1314.7 mg L⁻¹, hence revealing a high content of bioactive compounds. Through the confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis, a large number of viable probiotic cells were observed in all the variants but especially in the fresh red beet cubes. After 21 days of refrigeration, the high content of Lb. plantarum (CFU per gram) of the food products was attributed to the biocompounds and the nutrients of the vegetal matrix that somehow protected the bacterial cells, and thus maintained their viability. The obtained food products enriched with probiotic LAB can be regarded as new functional food products due to the beneficial properties they possessed throughout the undertaken experiments.