Influence of Probiotic Supplementation on Brain Function: Involvement of Gut Microbiome, Inflammation, and Stress Pathway

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a devastating mental disorder with poorly defined underlying molecular mechanisms. The gut microbiome can modulate brain function and behaviors through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Here, we found that unmedicated and medicated patients with SCZ had a decreased microbiome α-diversity index and marked disturbances of gut microbial composition versus healthy controls (HCs). Several unique bacterial taxa (e.g., Veillonellaceae and Lachnospiraceae) were associated with SCZ severity. A specific microbial panel (Aerococcaceae, Bifidobacteriaceae, Brucellaceae, Pasteurellaceae, and Rikenellaceae) enabled discriminating patients with SCZ from HCs with 0.769 area under the curve. Compared to HCs, germ-free mice receiving SCZ microbiome fecal transplants had lower glutamate and higher glutamine and GABA in the hippocampus and displayed SCZ-relevant behaviors similar to other mouse models of SCZ involving glutamatergic hypofunction. Together, our findings suggest that the SCZ microbiome itself can alter neurochemistry and neurologic function in ways that may be relevant to SCZ pathology.

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The Therapeutic Implications of the Gut Microbiome and Probiotics in Patients with NAFLD

Diseases ◽

10.3390/diseases7010027 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 27 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Brandon Perumpail ◽

Andrew Li ◽

Nimy John ◽

Sandy Sallam ◽

Neha Shah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiome ◽

Liver Enzymes ◽

Treatment Method ◽

Future Research ◽

Hepatic Inflammation ◽

Probiotic Supplementation ◽

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver ◽

Therapeutic Implications ◽

Pubmed Database ◽

Key Terms

Recent breakthrough in our understanding pertaining to the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has pointed to dysregulation or derangement of the gut microbiome, also known as dysbiosis. This has led to growing interest in probiotic supplementation as a potential treatment method for NAFLD due to its ability to retard and/or reverse dysbiosis and restore normal gut flora. A thorough review of medical literature was completed from inception through July 10, 2018 on the PubMed database by searching for key terms such as NAFLD, probiotics, dysbiosis, synbiotics, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). All studies reviewed indicate that probiotics had a beneficial effect in patients with NAFLD and its subset NASH. Results varied between studies, but there was evidence demonstrating improvement in liver enzymes, hepatic inflammation, hepatic steatosis, and hepatic fibrosis. No major adverse effects were noted. Currently, there are no guidelines addressing the use of probiotics in the setting of NAFLD. In conclusion, probiotics appear to be a promising option in the treatment of NAFLD. Future research is necessary to assess the efficacy of probiotics in patients with NAFLD.

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Targeting the Gut Microbiome in Prader-Willi Syndrome

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10225328 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (22) ◽

pp. 5328

Author(s):

Marta Ramon-Krauel ◽

Montse Amat-Bou ◽

Mercedes Serrano ◽

Antonio F. Martinez-Monseny ◽

Carles Lerin

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Therapeutic Strategy ◽

Prader Willi Syndrome ◽

Mental Health Symptoms ◽

Probiotic Supplementation ◽

Health Symptoms ◽

Overwhelming Evidence ◽

Wide Range

Overwhelming evidence demonstrates an important role of the gut microbiome in the development of a wide range of diseases, including obesity, metabolic disorders, and mental health symptoms. Indeed, interventions targeting the gut microbiome are being actively investigated as a therapeutic strategy to tackle these diseases. Given that obesity and mental health symptoms are both hallmarks of Prader-Willi syndrome, targeting the gut microbiome may be a promising therapeutical strategy. Only a few studies have investigated the gut microbiome in the context of Prader-Willi syndrome and assessed the efficacy of probiotic supplementation as a therapeutic strategy for this disease. Here, we review the knowledge obtained to this date regarding the gut microbiome in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome. The limited evidence available indicate that probiotic supplementation improves some metabolic and mental health aspects, however further studies are warranted to determine whether targeting the gut microbiome may constitute a safe and efficient strategy to treat individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome.

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Probiotic supplementation and associated infant gut microbiome and health: a cautionary retrospective clinical comparison

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-018-26423-3 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

C. Quin ◽

M. Estaki ◽

D. M. Vollman ◽

J. A. Barnett ◽

S. K. Gill ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiome ◽

Probiotic Supplementation ◽

Clinical Comparison ◽

Infant Gut Microbiome

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Early probiotic supplementation with B. infantis in breastfed infants leads to persistent colonization at 1 year

Pediatric Research ◽

10.1038/s41390-020-01350-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Claire E. O’Brien ◽

Anna K. Meier ◽

Karina Cernioglo ◽

Ryan D. Mitchell ◽

Giorgio Casaburi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Milk ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Bifidobacterium Longum ◽

List Type ◽

Probiotic Supplementation ◽

Breastfed Infants ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Background Recent studies have reported a dysfunctional gut microbiome in breastfed infants. Probiotics have been used in an attempt to restore the gut microbiome; however, colonization has been transient, inconsistent among individuals, or has not positively impacted the host’s gut. Methods This is a 2-year follow-up study to a randomized controlled trial wherein 7-day-old infants received 1.8 × 1010 colony-forming unit Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis (B. infantis) EVC001 (EVC) daily for 21 days or breast milk alone (unsupplemented (UNS)). In the follow-up study, mothers (n = 48) collected infant stool at 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 months postnatal and completed the health-diet questionnaires. Results Fecal B. infantis was 2.5–3.5 log units higher at 6–12 months in the EVC group compared with the UNS group (P < 0.01) and this relationship strengthened with the exclusion of infants who consumed infant formula and antibiotics. Infants in the EVC group had significantly higher Bifidobacteriaceae and lower Bacteroidaceae and Lachnospiraceae (P < 0.05). There were no differences in any health conditions between the two groups. Conclusions Probiotic supplementation with B. infantis within the first month postnatal, in combination with breast milk, resulted in stable colonization that persisted until at least 1 year postnatal. Impact A dysfunctional gut microbiome in breastfed infants is common in resource-rich nations and associated with an increased risk of immune diseases. Probiotics only transiently exist in the gut without persistent colonization or altering the gut microbiome. This is the first study to show that early probiotic supplementation with B. infantis with breast milk results in stable colonization of B. infantis and improvements to the gut microbiome 1 year postnatal. This study addresses a key gap in the literature whereby probiotics can restore the gut microbiome if biologically selected microorganisms are matched with their specific food in an open ecological niche.

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The Interaction between Dietary Components, Gut Microbiome, and Endurance Performance

10.5772/intechopen.97846 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Basista Rabina Sharma ◽

Ravindra P. Veeranna

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiome ◽

Brain Function ◽

Psychological Factors ◽

Genetic Factor ◽

Endurance Performance ◽

Host Immunity ◽

Optimal Performance ◽

Food Supplements ◽

Training History ◽

Dietary Components

Research so far indicates that gut microbiome and diet interactions influence obesity, diabetes, host immunity, and brain function. The ability of athletes to perform to optimum for a more extended time, as well as the ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to fatigue, injury depends on the genetic factor, age, sex, training history, psychological factors, mode, intensity and frequency of training and their interactions with the external dietary components. However, recent evidence indicates that the gut microbiome may also potentially influence the development of endurance in response to the type and composition of the external diet, including several food supplements. Thus, the gut microbiome has become another target in the athlete’s pursuit of optimal performance. This chapter discusses the effect of exercise on the gut microbiome, the interplay between dietary components and supplements on the gut microbiome, and its impact on endurance performance.

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Functional enrichment of gut microbiome by early supplementation of Bacillus based probiotic in cage free hens: a field study

Animal Microbiome ◽

10.1186/s42523-021-00112-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Samiullah Khan ◽

Kapil K. Chousalkar

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Egg Production ◽

Rna Degradation ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Internal Quality ◽

Gut Health ◽

Probiotic Supplementation ◽

Cationic Antimicrobial Peptide ◽

Significant Difference

Abstract Background The chicken gut microbiota passes through different stages of maturation; therefore, strengthening it with well characterised probiotics increases its resilience required for optimum gut health and wellbeing. However, there is limited information on the interaction of Bacillus based probiotics with gut microbial community members in cage free laying chickens both in rearing and production phases of life. In the current study, we investigated the changes in the gut microbiome of free range hens in the field after Bacillus based probiotic supplementation. Results Overall, at phylum level, probiotic supplementation increased the populations of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria mainly at the expense of Firmicutes. The population of Bacteroidetes significantly increased during the production as compared to the rearing phase, and its higher population in the probiotic-supplemented chickens reflects the positive role of Bacillus based probiotic in gut health. Core differences in the beta diversity suggest that probiotic supplementation decreased microbial compositionality. The non-significant difference in alpha diversity between the probiotic and control chickens showed that the composition of community structure did not change. No Salmonella spp. were isolated from the probiotic supplemented birds. Egg internal quality was significantly higher, while egg production and body weight did not differ. Functional prediction data showed that probiotic supplementation enriched metabolic pathways, such as vitamin B6 metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, monobactam biosynthesis, RNA degradation, retinol metabolism, pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, phosphonate and phosphinate metabolism, AMPK signaling pathway, cationic antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) resistance and tyrosine metabolism. Conclusions Overall, age was the main factor affecting the composition and diversity of gut microbiota, where probiotic supplementation improved the abundance of many useful candidates in the gut microbial communities. The generated baseline data in the current study highlights the importance of the continuous use of Bacillus based probiotic for optimum gut health and production.

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