Background. Anxiety and depression are becoming increasingly prevalent today and are often aggravated by day-to-day stresses. Because current management strategies are usually accompanied by unpleasant side effects, there is a need to look into alternative treatment regimens - such as prebiotics - that may provide equally effective anxiolytic and antidepressant effects.

Objective. Therefore, the study aims to determine the effect of a combined fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and galactooligosaccharide (GOS) supplemented diet on anxiety and depression levels in mice subjected to Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress (UCMS).

Methods. Forty male BALB/C mice were subjected to UCMS under a pretest-posttest control group design where the treatment group received prebiotic supplementation throughout the study. Repeated measures ANOVA was run to evaluate between, within, and time interactions of the measured anxiety parameters using the light-dark box test, and depression parameter using the fur coat state assessment.

Results. Results show that (1) the FOS + GOS treatment did not give the treatment group an advantage over the control group during UCMS, (2) both groups grew more anxious and depressed over time, and (3) the treatment group grew more anxious with time in relation to control in terms of the total time spent in the light side.

Conclusion. These imply that the UCMS protocol was successful in inducing stress in mice, but the FOS + GOS regimen failed to provide anxiolytic and antidepressant effects on male BALB/C mice exposed to UCMS.

Objectives: Probiotic supplementation often only leads to transient improvement in the gut microbiome. Potential prebiotics, such as the oligosaccharide-rich varieties of Dioscorea esculenta tubers, can potentially bridge the gap between supplementation and persistent colonization. Thus, this study aimed to assess the ability of D. esculenta tubers to promote the growth of probiotic Lactobacillus sp. in vitro selectively.

Methods: The prebiotic activity of the selected varieties of Dioscorea esculenta tubers was evaluated via compe titive growth assay, wherein the ratios of probiotic Lactobacillus sp. over enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) or "prebiotic ratios" were compared following treatment.

Results: Negative control (0.9% NaCl solution) produced a ratio of 0.88, Lowland and Highland varieties produced ratios of 1.26 and 1.29, respectively, and positive control (inulin) produced 1.54. The two varieties had comparable ratios to one another (p > 0.05), and significantly higher ratios than the negative control (p < 0.05). Both varieties have significant prebiotic activity. Compared to inulin, the two varieties' prebiotic activity was 84% as effective.

Conclusion: Overall, the tubers promoted the growth of Lactobacillus sp. over ETEC. The crude tuber samples, given their availability and affordability, can be easily integrated into the local diet to contribute to the improvement of the general population's health.

Interaction exists in lung cancer and microbiota. Lung microecological homeostasis can improve the immune tolerance, enhance immune suppression, and inhibit inflammatory responses, to reduce the lung cancer; while lung cancer can lead to pulmonary microecological imbalance, change the lung environment, and promote tumor cell proliferation. Therefore, modulating microbial flora and microecological immunotherapy may be a potential and preventive treatment for lung cancer, to restore tumor immunosuppression and improve patient survival. However, the individual differences in the lung microecology, because of different genetics, ethnic characteristics, and dietary habits, increasing the difficulty of precise diagnosis and treatment, which is also the current bottleneck in the application of microecological immunotherapy. Otherwise, the effectiveness of regulatory measures such as probiotics, prebiotics or antimicrobials is questionable. The research on microbial flora is still in its infancy, and further exploration is needed to form a standardized, effective, and precise treatment plan. So, standardized, effective, and precise microbial flora treatment strategies need to be further explored.
Humans ; Probiotics ; Prebiotics ; Microbiota ; Lung Neoplasms

Over the past decade, growing evidence has established the gut microbiota as one of the most important determinants of metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Indeed, obesogenic diet can drastically alter bacterial populations (i.e., dysbiosis) leading to activation of pro-inflammatory mechanisms and metabolic endotoxemia, therefore promoting insulin resistance and cardiometabolic disorders. To counteract these deleterious effects, probiotic strains have been developed with the aim of reshaping the microbiome to improve gut health. In this review, we focus on benefits of widely used probiotics describing their potential mechanisms of action, especially their ability to decrease metabolic endotoxemia by restoring the disrupted intestinal mucosal barrier. We also discuss the perspective of using new bacterial strains such as butyrate-producing bacteria and the mucolytic Akkermansia muciniphila, as well as the use of prebiotics to enhance the functionality of probiotics. Finally, this review introduces the notion of genetically engineered bacterial strains specifically developed to deliver anti-inflammatory molecules to the gut.
Bacteria ; Diet ; Endotoxemia ; Insulin Resistance ; Microbiota ; Obesity ; Prebiotics ; Probiotics*

Gut microbiota plays critical physiological roles in the energy extraction and in the control of local or systemic immunity. Gut microbiota and its disturbance also appear to be involved in the pathogenesis of diverse diseases including metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, cancer, etc. In the metabolic point of view, gut microbiota can modulate lipid accumulation, lipopolysaccharide content and the production of short-chain fatty acids that affect food intake, inflammatory tone, or insulin signaling. Several strategies have been developed to change gut microbiota such as prebiotics, probiotics, certain antidiabetic drugs or fecal microbiota transplantation, which have diverse effects on body metabolism and on the development of metabolic disorders.
Eating ; Fatty Acids, Volatile ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; Insulin ; Metabolism ; Metformin ; Microbiota* ; Obesity ; Prebiotics ; Probiotics

A complex set of interactions between the microbiome, gut and brain modulate responses to visceral pain. These interactions occur at the level of the gastrointestinal mucosa, and via local neural, endocrine or immune activity; as well as by the production of factors transported through the circulatory system, like bacterial metabolites or hormones. Various psychological, infectious and other stressors can disrupt this harmonious relationship and alter both the microbiome and visceral pain responses. There are critical sensitive periods that can impact visceral pain responses in adulthood. In this review we provide a brief background of the intestinal microbiome and emerging concepts of the bidirectional interactions between the microbiome, gut and brain. We also discuss recent work in animal models, and human clinical trials using prebiotics and probiotics that alter the microbiome with resultant alterations in visceral pain responses.
Brain ; Humans ; Microbiota* ; Models, Animal ; Mucous Membrane ; Prebiotics ; Probiotics ; Visceral Pain*

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent, most lethal cancers in the world. Increasing evidence suggests that the intestinal microbiota is closely related to the pathogenesis and prognosis of CRC. The normal microbiota plays an essential role in maintaining gut barrier function and the immune microenvironment. Recent studies have identified carcinogenic bacteria such as enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) and Streptococcus gallolyticus (S. gallolyticus), as well as protective bacterial such as Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila), as potential targets of CRC treatment. Gut microbiota modulation aims to restore gut dysbiosis, regulate the intestinal immune system and prevent from pathogen invasion, all of which are beneficial for CRC prevention and prognosis. The utility of probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation and dietary inventions to treat CRC makes them novel microbe-based management tools. In this review, we describe the mechanisms involved in bacteria-derived colorectal carcinogenesis and summarized novel bacteria-related therapies for CRC. In summary, we hope to facilitate clinical applications of intestinal bacteria for preventing and treating CRC.
Colorectal Neoplasms/therapy* ; Dysbiosis ; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Humans ; Prebiotics ; Tumor Microenvironment

This study investigated the effects of soyoligosaccharide consumption on feces bifidobacteria proliferation and feces lipid profiles in Korean young women. Eight healthy young women (25 - 34 years) were fed 15 g/day of soyoligosaccharide solution, containing 3 g of oligosaccharide as form of raffinose and starchyose, for 15 days with their habitual meals. Soyoligosaccharde intake increased the numbers of fecal total bacteria significantly until 10 days (p < 0.05) and the numbers of fecal bifidobactreia were significantly increased until 15 days (p < 0.05). The fecal pH was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) by soyligosaccharide intake. Fecal lipid concentration showed the trend to increse, especially fecal triglyceride level was significantly increased by soyoligosaccharide intake (p < 0.05). The water contents of feces, the amount of feces, evacuation frequency and taking time to evacuation were not affected by soyoligosaccharide intake. The color of feces changed to yellow-brown, and hardness of stool and effort to evacuation were reduced by soyoligosaccharide intake. These results suggest that soyoligosaccharide intake (3 g/day) in young women improved the gut microflora and fecal lipid profile. Therefore, soyoligosaccharide has a potential to be used as one of the promising prebiotics, and controlled trials with larger sample sizes and longer duration are need to be studied further.
Bacteria ; Feces ; Female ; Hardness ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Meals ; Prebiotics ; Raffinose ; Sample Size ; Triglycerides ; Water

According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Qi (vital energy) is regarded as a driving force of biological activities in human body, including both nutrient substances and organ functions. Qi-invigorating TCMs are widely used to treat various symptoms and disorders, such as fatigue, obesity, immunosuppression, intestinal flora imbalance, and gastrointestinal diseases, in which Qi is considered to be reduced or depleted. Interestingly, abundant clinical evidences suggest that these disorders are associated with the alternation of intestinal flora, which directly affects disease status. Herein we review the interaction between gut microbiota and Qi-invigorating TCMs under healthy and disease conditions and discuss the mechanisms of action and applications of Qi-invigorating TCMs in enhancing health status through microbial alternation. A better understanding of the role of Qi-invigorating TCMs in modulating microbial composition and the association between intestinal microbiota and diseases would help reveal the clinical consequences of microbiota alteration and explore opportunities to harness this symbiotic relationship to improve public health.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; drug effects ; Humans ; Prebiotics ; Qi

Prebiotics are recognized as a promising tool in the promotion of general health and in the prevention and treatment of numerous juvenile diseases. Prebiotics are considered an immunoactive agent, with the potential for long-lasting effects extending past active administration of the prebiotic. Because of its extremely low risk of serious adverse effects, ease of administration, and strong potential for influencing the composition and function of the microbiota in the gut and beyond, the beneficial clinical applications of prebiotics are expanding. Prebiotics are the third largest component of human breast milk. Preparations including galactooligosaccharides (GOS), fructooligosaccharides (FOS), 2′-fucosyllactose, lacto-N-neo-tetraose are examples of commonly used and studied products for supplementation in baby formula. In particular, the GOS/FOS combination is the most studied. Maintaining a healthy microbiome is essential to promote homeostasis of the gut and other organs. With more than 1,000 different microbial species in the gut, it is likely more feasible to modify the gut microbiota through the use of certain prebiotic mixtures rather than supplementing with a particular probiotic strain. In this review, we discuss the latest clinical evidence regarding prebiotics and its role in gut immunity, allergy, infections, inflammation, and functional gastrointestinal disorders.]]>
Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Infant Formula ; Infant ; Inflammation ; Microbiota ; Milk, Human ; Prebiotics ; Probiotics