1.
Beneficial effects of lactitol on the composition of gut microbiota in constipated patients.
Li, XQ, Zhang, XM, Wu, X, Lan, Y, Xu, L, Meng, XC, Li, JN
Journal of digestive diseases. 2020;(8):445-453
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the changes in microbial composition and the corresponding impact after lactitol treatment in constipated patients. METHODS Altogether 29 consecutive outpatients diagnosed with chronic constipation from three centers were recruited and stratified based on their history of diabetes mellitus. All patients were administered with oral lactitol for 2 weeks, and a symptoms diary of constipation was recorded. Fecal samples were collected before and after lactitol treatment, and were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect gut microbiota. RESULTS Twenty patients with diabetes mellitus and nine without, all with chronic constipation, were enrolled in this study. After 2-week administration of lactitol, their subscale scores and constipation symptoms significantly decreased (P < 0.05). An analysis of fecal flora using 16S rRNA sequencing found an increasing trend of abundance of Bifidobacterium in the post-lactitol group (P = 0.08). Actinobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bifidobacteriales, Bifidobacteriaceae and Bifidobacterium were significantly more abundant after lactitol administration. Real-time PCR showed significantly high DNA copy numbers of Bifidobacterium after lactitol treatment (1.39 × 1010 vs 2.74 × 109 copies/μL, P = 0.01). The results of 16S rRNA sequencing and real-time PCR illustrated an increasing trend of Bifidobacterium in both patients with and without diabetes. In addition, Bifidobacterium was negatively correlated with constipation subscale scores. CONCLUSIONS Alterations in fecal flora composition after lactitol supplementation, especially in terms of an increasing trend of Bifidobacterium, alleviated constipation symptoms. Lactitol may be a promising prebiotic candidate for patients with constipation, regardless of diabetes mellitus.
2.
A prebiotic intervention study in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).
Grimaldi, R, Gibson, GR, Vulevic, J, Giallourou, N, Castro-Mejía, JL, Hansen, LH, Leigh Gibson, E, Nielsen, DS, Costabile, A
Microbiome. 2018;(1):133
Abstract
BACKGROUND Different dietary approaches, such as gluten and casein free diets, or the use of probiotics and prebiotics have been suggested in autistic spectrum disorders in order to reduce gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances. GI symptoms are of particular interest in this population due to prevalence and correlation with the severity of behavioural traits. Nowadays, there is lack of strong evidence about the effect of dietary interventions on these problems, particularly prebiotics. Therefore, we assessed the impact of exclusion diets and a 6-week Bimuno® galactooligosaccharide (B-GOS®) prebiotic intervention in 30 autistic children. RESULTS The results showed that children on exclusion diets reported significantly lower scores of abdominal pain and bowel movement, as well as lower abundance of Bifidobacterium spp. and Veillonellaceae family, but higher presence of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Bacteroides spp. In addition, significant correlations were found between bacterial populations and faecal amino acids in this group, compared to children following an unrestricted diet. Following B-GOS® intervention, we observed improvements in anti-social behaviour, significant increase of Lachnospiraceae family, and significant changes in faecal and urine metabolites. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first study where the effect of exclusion diets and prebiotics has been evaluated in autism, showing potential beneficial effects. A combined dietary approach resulted in significant changes in gut microbiota composition and metabolism suggesting that multiple interventions might be more relevant for the improvement of these aspects as well as psychological traits. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT02720900 ; registered in November 2015.
3.
Starch-entrapped microsphere fibers improve bowel habit but do not exhibit prebiotic capacity in those with unsatisfactory bowel habits: a phase I, randomized, double-blind, controlled human trial.
Rasmussen, HE, Hamaker, B, Rajan, KB, Mutlu, E, Green, SJ, Brown, M, Kaur, A, Keshavarzian, A
Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.). 2017;:27-37
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Abstract
Approximately one-third of individuals in the United States experience unsatisfactory bowel habits, and dietary intake, especially one low in fiber, could be partly responsible. We hypothesized that intake of a fermentable fiber (starch-entrapped microspheres, SM) that has a delayed, slow fermentation profile in vitro would improve bowel habit while exhibiting prebiotic capacity in those with self-described unsatisfactory bowel habits, all with minimal adverse effects. A total of 43 healthy volunteers completed a 3-month, double-blind, parallel-arm randomized clinical trial to assess the ability of a daily dose (9 or 12 g) of SM vs psyllium (12 g) to improve bowel habit, including stool consistency and frequency, and modify gut milieu through changes in stool microbiota and short-chain fatty acids while remaining tolerable through minimal gastrointestinal symptoms. All outcomes were compared before and after fiber treatment. Stool frequency significantly improved (P=.0003) in all groups after 3 months, but stool consistency improved only in both SM groups compared with psyllium. In addition, all groups self-reported a similar improvement in overall bowel habit with fiber intake. Both SM and psyllium resulted in minimal changes in microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acid concentrations. The present study suggests that supplementation with a delayed and slow-fermenting fiber in vitro may improve bowel habit in those with constipation, but further investigation is warranted to determine capacity to alter microbiota and fermentation profiles in humans. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT01210625.