Psychobiotic Therapy: Method to Reinforce the Immune System

Psychobiotics Ameliorate Depression and Anxiety Status in Surgical Oncology Patients: Results from the ProDeCa Study

Background: Psychological disorders are prevalent in patients having undergone gastrointestinal cancer surgery, and their emotional status may further deteriorate during subsequent chemotherapy. Psychobiotics are specific probiotics that have the unique characteristics of producing neuroactive substances that are thought to act on the brain-gut axis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the benefits of a psychobiotic formula on depression and anxiety status, as well as on perceived stress, versus a placebo in patients on a chemotherapy course following gastrointestinal surgery for cancer. Patients: The enrolled patients, allocated to the psychobiotic and placebo groups, were assessed by means of these psychometric tests: Beck's Depression Inventory and the Hamilton Depression Rating 17-item Scale for depression; the General Anxiety Disorder-7 for anxiety; and the Perceived Stress Scale-14 Item for perceived stress at three time-points: upon allocation [T1], after one month of treatment [T2], and two months thereafter [T3]. Results: In total, 266 patients were included. One month of psychobiotic treatment improved [i] depression status by 60.4% [48 depressed patients at T1, reduced to 16 at T3]; [ii] anxiety by 57.0% [72 patients at T1, 26 at T3]; and [iii] stress by 60.4% [42 at T1, 14 at T3]. The placebo-treated patients experienced a deterioration in all parameters studied, i.e., depression increased by 62.9%, anxiety by 39.7%, and stress by 142.5%. Conclusions: Based on these findings, it can be recognized that psychobiotic treatment has great potential for every patient at risk of suffering from depression, anxiety, or stress during the course of surgery/chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancer.

Probiotic Microorganisms in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Live Biotherapeutics as Food

(1) Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are characterized by chronic and complex inflammatory processes of the digestive tract that evolve with frequent relapses and manifest at any age; they predominantly affect young individuals. Diet plays a direct role in maintaining the gut mucosal integrity and immune function. Regarding the diet, the administration of probiotics stands out. The use of probiotics for IBD treatment has shown promising effects on consumers' quality of life. (2) Methods: This study aimed to conduct a literature review on the effects of probiotic and smart probiotic ingestion on IBD and analyze the available literature based on the searched keywords using boxplot diagrams to search for scientific data in the online literature published up to October 2024. (3) Results: Google Scholar (containing ~6 × 106 articles) and Science Direct (containing ~5 × 106 articles) were the databases with the highest number of articles for the keywords used in the study. When analyzing the content of the articles, although probiotic microorganisms are currently not part of the standard treatment protocol for IBD, these live biotherapeutics have proven to be an effective treatment option, considering the adverse effects of conventional therapies. Furthermore, the development of genetically engineered probiotics or smart probiotics is a promising treatment for IBD. (4) Conclusions: Probiotics and smart probiotics could represent the future of nutritional medicine in IBD care, allowing patients to be treated in a more natural, safe, effective, and nutritious way. However, although many studies have demonstrated the potential of this biotherapy, clinical trials standardizing dosage and strains are still necessary.

Relationships between Gut Microbiota and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Development and Treatment

Many studies have demonstrated the impact of intestinal microbiota on normal brain development. Moreover, the gut microbiota (GM) is impacted by multiple endogenous and environmental factors that may promote gut dysbiosis (GD). An increasing number of studies are investigating the possible role of the GD in the development of neurological and behavioral disorders. For autism spectrum disorders (ASD), specific intestinal bacterial signatures have been identified, knowing that gastrointestinal symptoms are frequently found in ASD. In this review, the peri and post-natal factors modulating the GM are described and the specific gut bacterial signature of ASD children is detailed. Through bidirectional communication between the GM and the brain, several mechanisms are involved in the development of ASD, such as cytokine-mediated neuroinflammation and decreased production of neuroprotective factors such as short-chain fatty acids by the GM. Imbalance of certain neurotransmitters such as serotonin or gamma-aminobutyric acid could also play a role in these gut-brain interactions. Some studies show that this GD in ASD is partly reversible by treatment with pre- and probiotics, or fecal microbiota transplantation with promising results. However, certain limitations have been raised, in particular concerning the short duration of treatment, the small sample sizes and the diversity of protocols. The development of standardized therapeutics acting on GD in large cohort could rescue the gastrointestinal symptoms and behavioral impairments, as well as patient management.

Aberrant bowel movement frequencies coincide with increased microbe-derived blood metabolites associated with reduced organ function

Bowel movement frequency (BMF) directly impacts the gut microbiota and is linked to diseases like chronic kidney disease or dementia. In particular, prior work has shown that constipation is associated with an ecosystem-wide switch from fiber fermentation and short-chain fatty acid production to more detrimental protein fermentation and toxin production. Here, we analyze multi-omic data from generally healthy adults to see how BMF affects their molecular phenotypes, in a pre-disease context. Results show differential abundances of gut microbial genera, blood metabolites, and variation in lifestyle factors across BMF categories. These differences relate to inflammation, heart health, liver function, and kidney function. Causal mediation analysis indicates that the association between lower BMF and reduced kidney function is partially mediated by the microbially derived toxin 3-indoxyl sulfate (3-IS). This result, in a generally healthy context, suggests that the accumulation of microbiota-derived toxins associated with abnormal BMF precede organ damage and may be drivers of chronic, aging-related diseases.

Biological Significance of Probiotic Microorganisms from Kefir and Kombucha: A Review

(1) Background: The human microbiota is essential for maintaining a healthy body. The gut microbiota plays a protective role against pathogenic bacteria. Probiotics are live microorganisms capable of preventing and controlling gastrointestinal and balancing the immune system. They also aid in better nutrients and vitamins absorption. Examples of natural probiotic cultures are kefir and kombucha. (2) Methods: Therefore, the aim of this review was to address the beneficial properties of probiotic kefir and kombucha using a Boxplot analysis to search for scientific data in the online literature up to January 2024: (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences (LILACS), PubMed, Medical Literature Analysis (MED-LINE), Science Direct, Google Scholar/Google Academic, Bioline Inter-national and Springer Link). Boxplots showed the summary of a set of data "Index Terms-Keywords" on kefir and kombucha in three languages (English, Portuguese and Spanish). (3) Results: Google Scholar was the database with the highest number of articles found, when the search for the keywords used in the study (containing ~4 × 106-~4 million articles available). This was Followed by the Science Direct database, containing ~3 × 106-~3 million articles available, and the BVS databases-Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde (Virtual Health Library) e Lilacs, both containing a value of ~2 × 106-~2 million articles available. The databases containing the smallest number of articles found were Nutrients and Medline, both containing a value of ≤0.1 × 106-≤100 thousand articles. (4) Conclusions: Scientific studies indicate that kefir and kombucha certainly contain various functional properties, such as antimicrobial, antitumor, anticarcinogenic and immunomodulatory activity, in addition to having a microbiological composition of probiotic bacteria and yeasts. Kefir and kombucha represent key opportunities in the food and clinic/medical fields.

Neuroinflammation and Schizophrenia: New Therapeutic Strategies through Psychobiotics, Nanotechnology, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The prevalence of schizophrenia, affecting approximately 1% of the global population, underscores the urgency for innovative therapeutic strategies. Recent insights into the role of neuroinflammation, the gut-brain axis, and the microbiota in schizophrenia pathogenesis have paved the way for the exploration of psychobiotics as a novel treatment avenue. These interventions, targeting the gut microbiome, offer a promising approach to ameliorating psychiatric symptoms. Furthermore, advancements in artificial intelligence and nanotechnology are set to revolutionize psychobiotic development and application, promising to enhance their production, precision, and effectiveness. This interdisciplinary approach heralds a new era in schizophrenia management, potentially transforming patient outcomes and offering a beacon of hope for those afflicted by this complex disorder.

Generally-healthy individuals with aberrant bowel movement frequencies show enrichment for microbially-derived blood metabolites associated with reduced kidney function

Bowel movement frequency (BMF) has been linked to changes in the composition of the human gut microbiome and to many chronic conditions, like metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and other intestinal pathologies like irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. Lower BMF (constipation) can lead to compromised intestinal barrier integrity and a switch from saccharolytic to proteolytic fermentation within the microbiota, giving rise to microbially-derived toxins that may make their way into circulation and cause damage to organ systems. However, the connections between BMF, gut microbial metabolism, and the early-stage development and progression of chronic disease remain underexplored. Here, we examined the phenotypic impact of BMF variation in a cohort of generally-healthy, community dwelling adults with detailed clinical, lifestyle, and multi-omic data. We showed significant differences in microbially-derived blood plasma metabolites, gut bacterial genera, clinical chemistries, and lifestyle factors across BMF groups that have been linked to inflammation, cardiometabolic health, liver function, and CKD severity and progression. We found that the higher plasma levels of 3-indoxyl sulfate (3-IS), a microbially-derived metabolite associated with constipation, was in turn negatively associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a measure of kidney function. Causal mediation analysis revealed that the effect of BMF on eGFR was significantly mediated by 3-IS. Finally, we identify self-reported diet, lifestyle, and psychological factors associated with BMF variation, which indicate several common-sense strategies for mitigating constipation and diarrhea. Overall, we suggest that aberrant BMF is an underappreciated risk factor in the development of chronic diseases, even in otherwise healthy populations.

The Causal Effect of Gut Microbiota on the Development of Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

BACKGROUND

Older people are particularly at risk for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH), a rare neurological condition without known risk factors. Several recent observational studies have reported that gut microbiota composition is associated with iNPH. However, the causal impact of gut microbiota on iNPH is unknown.

METHODS

Single nucleotide polymorphisms strongly associated with 196 gut microbiota (18,340 individuals) were selected as instrumental factors, and the results were iNPH data (322 cases of iNPH and 21,043 controls). Random effects, inverse variance weighting, weighted medians, and Mendelian random (MR) -Egger were used to investigate causal effects. The Cochran's Q test, funnel plot, leave-one-out analysis, MR-Egger intercept test, and outlier (Global) test were employed in the sensitivity analysis to identify and compensate for the presence of pleiotropy. The MR-Steiger test also examined the hypothesised connection between exposure and result.

RESULTS

Our findings are mainly based on the inverse variance weighting approach and support a causal relationship between 6 gut microbial taxa and iNPH. We observed an inverse association between the Eubacterium fissicatena group (P = 0.007) and Lactococcus (P = 0.038) and iNPH, whereas Adlercreutzia (P = 0.029), Dialister (P = 0.040), Romboutsia (P = 0.027), Sutterella (P = 0.019) may be associated with an increased risk of iNPH. The results of the sensitivity analysis were robust.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that certain gut bacteria may enhance iNPH risk. Research is required to determine whether the societal impact of iNPH is lessened in older people by sensible control of their gut microbiota.

Deciphering psychobiotics' mechanism of action: bacterial extracellular vesicles in the spotlight

The intake of psychobiotic bacteria appears to be a promising adjunct to neuropsychiatric treatment, and their consumption may even be beneficial for healthy people in terms of mental functioning. The psychobiotics' mechanism of action is largely outlined by the gut-brain axis; however, it is not fully understood. Based on very recent studies, we provide compelling evidence to suggest a novel understanding of this mechanism: bacterial extracellular vesicles appear to mediate many known effects that psychobiotic bacteria exert on the brain. In this mini-review paper, we characterize the extracellular vesicles derived from psychobiotic bacteria to demonstrate that they can be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, penetrate to the brain, and carry the intracellular content to exert beneficial multidirectional action. Specifically, by regulating epigenetic factors, extracellular vesicles from psychobiotics appear to enhance expression of neurotrophic molecules, improve serotonergic neurotransmission, and likely supply astrocytes with glycolytic enzymes to favor neuroprotective mechanisms. As a result, some data suggest an antidepressant action of extracellular vesicles that originate even from taxonomically remote psychobiotic bacteria. As such, these extracellular vesicles may be regarded as postbiotics of potentially therapeutic application. The mini-review is enriched with illustrations to better introduce the complex nature of brain signaling mediated by bacterial extracellular vesicles and indicates knowledge gaps that require scientific exploration before further progress is made. In conclusion, bacterial extracellular vesicles appear to represent the missing piece of the puzzle in the mechanism of action of psychobiotics.

Non-Lactic Probiotic Beverage Enriched with Microencapsulated Red Propolis: Microorganism Viability, Physicochemical Characteristics, and Sensory Perception

This work aimed to develop a non-dairy functional beverage fermented with probiotic strains and fortified with Brazilian red propolis (microencapsulated and extracted). The non-dairy matrix consisted of oats (75 g), sunflower seeds (175 g), and almonds (75 g). It was fermented by a starter co-culture composed of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CCMA 0743 and Debaryomyces hansenii CCMA 176. Scanning electron microscopy analysis was initially performed to verify the integrity of the microcapsules. The viability of the microorganisms after fermentation and storage, chemical composition (high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses), rheology, antioxidant activity, and sensory profile of the beverages were determined. After fermentation and storage, the starter cultures were well adapted to the substrate, reducing the pH (6.50 to 4) and cell count above 7.0 log CFU/mL. Lactic acid was the main organic acid produced during fermentation and storage. In addition, 39 volatile compounds were detected by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS), including acids, alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, alkenes, esters, ethers, phenols, terpenes, and others. The addition of propolis extract increased the antioxidant and phenolic activity and the presence of volatile esters but reduced the beverage’s acceptability. The addition of microencapsulated propolis was more associated with the presence of higher alcohols and had similar acceptance to the control beverage. The combination of a non-dairy substrate, a starter co-culture, and the addition of propolis led to the development of a probiotic beverage with great potential for health benefits.

Probiotics and Commensal Gut Microbiota as the Effective Alternative Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis Patients Treatment

The gut-brain axis (GBA) refers to the multifactorial interactions between the intestine microflora and the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems, connecting brain activity and gut functions. Alterations of the GBA have been revealed in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), suggesting a potential role in disease pathogenesis and making it a promising therapeutic target. Whilst research in this field is still in its infancy, a number of studies revealed that MS patients are more likely to exhibit modified microbiota, altered levels of short-chain fatty acids, and enhanced intestinal permeability. Both clinical and preclinical trials in patients with MS and animal models revealed that the administration of probiotic bacteria might improve cognitive, motor, and mental behaviors by modulation of GBA molecular pathways. According to the newest data, supplementation with probiotics may be associated with slower disability progression, reduced depressive symptoms, and improvements in general health in patients with MS. Herein, we give an overview of how probiotics supplementation may have a beneficial effect on the course of MS and its animal model. Hence, interference with the composition of the MS patient's intestinal microbiota may, in the future, be a grip point for the development of diagnostic tools and personalized microbiota-based adjuvant therapy.

Probiotics and live biotherapeutic products aiming at cancer mitigation and patient recover

Molecular biology techniques allowed access to non-culturable microorganisms, while studies using analytical chemistry, as Liquid Chromatography and Tandem Mass Spectrometry, showed the existence of a complex communication system among bacteria, signaled by quorum sensing molecules. These approaches also allowed the understanding of dysbiosis, in which imbalances in the microbiome diversity, caused by antibiotics, environmental toxins and processed foods, lead to the constitution of different diseases, as cancer. Colorectal cancer, for example, can originate by a dysbiosis configuration, which leads to biofilm formation, production of toxic metabolites, DNA damage in intestinal epithelial cells through the secretion of genotoxins, and epigenetic regulation of oncogenes. However, probiotic strains can also act in epigenetic processes, and so be use for recovering important intestinal functions and controlling dysbiosis and cancer mitigation through the metabolism of drugs used in chemotherapy, controlling the proliferation of cancer cells, improving the immune response of the host, regulation of cell differentiation and apoptosis, among others. There are still gaps in studies on the effectiveness of the use of probiotics, therefore omics and analytical chemistry are important approaches to understand the role of bacterial communication, formation of biofilms, and the effects of probiotics and microbiome on chemotherapy. The use of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and metabiotics should be considered as a complement to other more invasive and hazard therapies, such chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy. The study of potential bacteria for cancer treatment, as the next-generation probiotics and Live Biotherapeutic Products, can have a controlling action in epigenetic processes, enabling the use of these bacteria for the mitigation of specific diseases through changes in the regulation of genes of microbiome and host. Thus, it is possible that a path of medicine in the times to come will be more patient-specific treatments, depending on the environmental, genetic, epigenetic and microbiome characteristics of the host.

Prolonged Lifespan, Improved Perception, and Enhanced Host Defense of Caenorhabditis elegans by Lactococcus cremoris subsp. cremoris

Lactic acid bacteria are beneficial to Caenorhabditis elegans; however, bacteria acting as probiotics in nematodes may not necessarily have probiotic functions in humans. Lactococcus cremoris subsp. cremoris reportedly has probiotic functions in humans. Therefore, we determined whether the strain FC could exert probiotic effects in C. elegans in terms of improving host defenses and extending life span. Live FC successfully extended the life span and enhanced host defense compared to Escherichia coli OP50 (OP50), a standard food source for C. elegans. The FC-fed worms were tolerant to Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis or Staphylococcus aureus infection and had better survival than the OP50-fed control worms. Further, the chemotaxis index, an indicator of perception ability, was more stable and significantly higher in FC-fed worms than in the control worms. The increase in autofluorescence from advanced glycation end products (AGEs) with aging was also ameliorated in FC-fed worms. FC showed beneficial effects in daf-16 and pmk-1 mutants, but not in skn-1 mutants. Since SKN-1 is the C. elegans ortholog of Nrf2, we measured the transcription of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), which is regulated by Nrf2, in murine macrophages and found that HO-1 mRNA expression was increased >5 times by inoculation with FC cells. Thus, FC could exert antisenescence effects via the SKN-1/Nrf2 pathway. This study showed for the first time that FC supported perceptive function and suppressed AGEs in nematodes as probiotic bacteria. Therefore, C. elegans can be an alternative model to screen for probiotic bacteria that can be used for antisenescence effects in humans.

IMPORTANCE Aging is one of our greatest challenges. The World Health Organization proposed that “active aging” might encourage people to continue to work according to their capacities and preferences as they grow old and would prevent or delay disabilities and chronic diseases that are costly to both individuals and the society, considering that disease prevention is more economical than treatment. Probiotic bacteria, such as lactobacilli, are live microorganisms that exert beneficial effects on human health when ingested in sufficient amounts and can promote longevity. The significance of this study is that it revealed the antisenescence and various beneficial effects of the representative probiotic bacterium Lactococcus cremoris subsp. cremoris strain FC exerted via the SKN-1/Nrf2 pathway in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.