PMID: 

Front Microbiol. 2019 ;10:324. Epub 2019 Feb 21. PMID: 30846982

Abstract Title: 

Strain Shirota Alleviates Constipation in Adults by Increasing the Pipecolinic Acid Level in the Gut.

Abstract: 

The benefits of probiotics for constipation are widely accepted, but the mechanisms involving gut metabolites are unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects ofstrain Shirota (LcS) on constipated patients and revealed that a metabolite mediator is involved in the LcS-induced constipation alleviation. Sixteen constipated patients and 22 non-constipated participants were recruited. The subjects consumed 100 mL of an LcS beverage (10CFU/mL) per day for 28 days. The fecal non-volatile metabolites were determined by GC/MS, and the targeted metabolites were further verified in a constipated mouse model. In constipated patients, LcS intervention significantly improved defecation frequency (from 4.81 to 7.81 times per week,

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PMID: 

Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2018 Jun ;88(3-4):199-208. Epub 2019 May 6. PMID: 31056010

Abstract Title: 

Oral administration of Lactobacillus casei Shirota can ameliorate the adverse effect of an acute aflatoxin exposure in Sprague Dawley rats.

Abstract: 

Aflatoxin B(AFB) is a toxic compound commonly found in some crops with an adverse health effect on human and animals. Some beneficial microorganisms (or probiotics) such as lactic acid bacteria have shown the ability to reduce the bioavailability of aflatoxins and its intestinal absorption. However, the dose and duration of aflatoxins exposure and probiotic treatment can influence the ability of probiotics to remove aflatoxins. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the efficacy of oral probioticShirota strain (LcS) induction in an acute exposure to AFBin rats. Experimentally, Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups: AFBonly (n = 9); AFBtreated with LcS (n = 9); and control (no AFBexposure) (n = 6) groups. The blood AFBlevel of rats treated with LcS was slightly lower than the untreated AFBinduced rats (11.12± 0.71 vs 10.93 ± 0.69 ng g). Also, LcS treatment slightly moderated the liver and kidney biomarkers in AFBinduced rats. However, a trend for a significant difference was only observed in ALT of AFBinduced rats treated with LcS compared to their counterparts (126.11± 36.90 vs 157.36 ± 15.46,= 0.06). Rats' body weight decreased in all animals force-fed with AFBwith no significant difference between LcS treatment compared to the counterpart. In conclusion, this experiment indicated that probiotic LsC was able to slightly ameliorate the adverse effect of an acute exposure to AFBin rats. However, future studies with longer probiotics treatment or higher probiotics dose is required to confirm these findings.

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PMID: 

J Pediatr. 2015 Jun ;166(6):1475-81.e1-3. Epub 2015 Apr 1. PMID: 25841539

Abstract Title: 

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of synbiotic yogurt effect on the health of children.

Abstract: 

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of daily consumption of a synbiotic yogurt drink on the health, growth, and quality of life of healthy children 12-48 months of age in out-of-home child care.STUDY DESIGN: Healthy children attending child care centers were enrolled in a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The intervention was a yogurt drink containing Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis (BB-12) (5× 10(9) cfu/100 mL serving), and 1 g of inulin (synbiotic group) vs a similar nonsynbiotic-containing acidified milk drink (placebo group) once daily for 16 weeks. The end points were days of diarrhea, fever, vomiting, symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection, use of antibiotics, physician visits, child care absenteeism, parental work absenteeism, and quality of life (PedsQL 4.0; Mapi Research Trust, Lyon, France).RESULTS: Compared with placebo (n = 73), children receiving synbiotic (n = 76) had significantly fewer days of reported fever (1.85 vs 1.95, P

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PMID: 

BMJ Open. 2015 Jan 14 ;5(1):e006474. Epub 2015 Jan 14. PMID: 25588782

Abstract Title: 

Can probiotic yogurt prevent diarrhoea in children on antibiotics? A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study.

Abstract: 

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the efficacy of a probiotic yogurt compared to a pasteurised yogurt for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in children.DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a multisite, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted between September 2009 and 2012. The study was conducted through general practices and pharmacies in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Children (aged 1-12 years) prescribed antibiotics, were randomised to receive 200 g/day of either yogurt (probiotic) containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), Bifidobacterium lactis (Bb-12) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (La-5) or a pasteurised yogurt (placebo) for the same duration as their antibiotic treatment.OUTCOMES: Stool frequency and consistency were recorded for the duration of treatment plus 1 week. Primary outcome was stool frequency and consistency, classified at different levels of diarrhoea severity. Due to the small number of cases of diarrhoea, comparisons between groups were made using Fisher's exact analysis.RESULTS: 72 children commenced and 70 children (36 placebo and 34 probiotic) completed the trial. There were no incidents of severe diarrhoea (stool consistency≥6, ≥3 stools/day for ≥2 consecutive days) in the probiotic group and six in the placebo group (Fisher's exact p=0.025). There was also only one episode of minor diarrhoea (stool consistency ≥5, ≥2 stools/day for ≥2 days in the probiotic group compared to 21 in the placebo group (Fisher's exact p

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PMID: 

PLoS One. 2019 ;14(6):e0216393. Epub 2019 Jun 26. PMID: 31242213

Abstract Title: 

Synbiotics suppress colitis-induced tumorigenesis in a colon-specific cancer mouse model.

Abstract: 

Although synbiotics may be effective in maintaining remission of inflammatory bowel disease, their anticarcinogenic effects are still debated. To address this issue, we evaluated the effects of synbiotics, probiotics, and prebiotics on tumorigenesis using a CDX2P-Cre; Apc+/flox mouse model harboring a colon-specific Apc knock out, which develops adenoma and adenocarcinoma of the colon. Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-administration promoted colonic tumor development in CDX2P-Cre; Apc+/flox mice, and these tumors were associated with loss of Apc heterozygosity, as confirmed by observation of well-differentiated adenocarcinomas withβ-catenin accumulation in tumor cell cytoplasm. Synbiotics-treatment suppressed dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in CDX2P-Cre; Apc+/flox mice, thereby reducing mortality, and inhibited tumorigenesis accelerated by DSS-administration. Conversely, neither probiotics nor prebiotics had any effect on inflammation and tumorigenesis. Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium breve were detected in the fecal microbiota of probiotics-treated mice. Synbiotics-treatment suppressed DSS-induced expression of IL-6, STAT-3, COX-2, and TNF-α gene transcripts in normal colonic epithelium, indicating thepossibility of suppressing tumor development. Importantly, these genes may be potential therapeutic targets in inflammation-associated colon cancer.

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PMID: 

Microbiome. 2019 07 17 ;7(1):107. Epub 2019 Jul 17. PMID: 31315667

Abstract Title: 

A single bacterium restores the microbiome dysbiosis to protect bones from destruction in a rat model of rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND: Early treatment is key for optimizing the therapeutic success of drugs, and the current initiating treatment that blocks the progression of bone destruction during the pre-arthritic stages remains unsatisfactory. The microbial disorder in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients is significantly reversed with effective treatment. Modulating aberrant gut microbiomes into a healthy state is a potential therapeutic approach for preventing bone damage.RESULTS: By using metagenomic shotgun sequencing and a metagenome-wide association study, we assessed the effect of Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) on the induction of arthritis as well as on the associated gut microbiota and immune disorders in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rats. Treatment of AIA rats with L. casei inhibited joint swelling, lowered arthritis scores, and prevented bone destruction. Along with the relief of arthritis symptoms, dysbiosis in the microbiome of arthritic rats was significantly reduced after L. casei intervention. The relative abundance of AIA-decreased Lactobacillus strains, including Lactobacillus hominis, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Lactobacillus vaginalis, were restored to normal and Lactobacillus acidophilus was upregulated by the administration of L. casei to the AIA rats. Moreover, L. casei downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are closely linked to the effect of the L. casei treatment-associated microbes. Functionally, the maintenance of the redox balance of oxidative stress was involved in the improvement in the L. casei-treated AIA rats.CONCLUSION: A single bacterium, L. casei (ATCC334), was able to significantly suppress the induction of AIA and protect bones from destruction in AIA rats by restoring the microbiome dysbiosis in the gut, indicating that using probiotics may be a promising strategy for treating RA, especially in the early stage of the disease.

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PMID: 

Nutrients. 2019 Aug 22 ;11(9). Epub 2019 Aug 22. PMID: 31443365

Abstract Title: 

Beneficial Effects of Non-Encapsulated or Encapsulated Probiotic Supplementation on Microbiota Composition, Intestinal Barrier Functions, Inflammatory Profiles, and Glucose Tolerance in High Fat Fed Rats.

Abstract: 

Development of obesity-associated comorbidities is related to chronic inflammation, which has been linked to gut microbiota dysbiosis. Thus, modulating gut microbiota composition could have positive effects for metabolic disorders, supporting the use of probiotics as potential therapeutics in vivo, which may be enhanced by a microencapsulation technique. Here we investigated the effects of non-encapsulated or pectin-encapsulated probiotic supplementation (L. casei W8; L. casei W8) on gut microbiota composition and metabolic profile in high-fat (HF) diet-fed rats. Four male Wistar rat groups (= 8/group) were fed 10% low-fat, 45% HF, or HF with non-encapsulated or encapsulated L. casei W8 (4× 10CFU/g diet) diet for seven weeks. Microbiota composition, intestinal integrity, inflammatory profiles, and glucose tolerance were assessed. Non-encapsulated and pectin-encapsulated probiotic supplementation positively modulated gut microbiota composition in HF-fed male rats. These changes were associated with improvements in gut barrier functions and local and systemic inflammation by non-encapsulated probiotics and improvement in glucose tolerance by encapsulated probiotic treatment. Thus, these findings suggest the potential of using oral non-encapsulated or encapsulated probiotic supplementation to ameliorate obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities.

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PMID: 

Int J Oncol. 2020 Jan 2. Epub 2020 Jan 2. PMID: 31939617

Abstract Title: 

Inhibition of TPA‑induced metastatic potential by morin hydrate in MCF‑7 human breast cancer cells via the Akt/GSK‑3β/c‑Fos signaling pathway.

Abstract: 

Plant flavonoid 2',3,4',5,7‑pentahydroxyflavone (morin hydrate), isolated from the family Moraceae (Morus alba L.), is known to have anti‑inflammatory and anticancer effects. However, its pharmaceutical effects on metastasis have not been fully elucidated to date. Therefore, the current study investigated the effects ofmorin hydrate on cancer metastasis in MCF‑7 human breast cancer cells. The results showed that morin hydrate suppressed 12‑O‑tetradecanoylphorbol‑13‑acetate (TPA)‑induced cell migration and invasion via the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‑9 activity. Furthermore, gene expression level of MMP‑9, MMP‑7, urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), uPA receptor (uPAR) and fibronectin were significantly decreased by morin hydrate treatment. Morin hydrate inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)‑3β, and downregulated the expression of an activator protein‑1 subunit c‑Fos. In addition, the GSK‑3β phosphorylation and c‑Fos expression were suppressed by PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitors, LY294002 and wortmannin. Taken together, these results demonstrated that morin hydrate reduced the metastatic potential in TPA‑treated MCF‑7human breast cancer cells via the inhibition of MMPs, uPA and uPAR, and the underlying Akt/GSK‑3β/c‑Fos pathway. Therefore, the present investigation suggested that morin hydrate may be a natural substance with a preventive potential for metastasis in breast cancer cells.

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PMID: 

Food Funct. 2019 Sep 1 ;10(9):5843-5852. Epub 2019 Aug 29. PMID: 31464316

Abstract Title: 

Lactobacillus casei LC2W can inhibit the colonization of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in vivo and reduce the severity of colitis.

Abstract: 

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a strain of human pathogenic E. coli bacteria that can cause serious foodborne diseases. Many probiotics have antagonistic effects on EHEC, but few studies have examined the interactions between probiotics and EHEC in vivo. To investigate the colonization of Lactobacillus casei LC2W and its inhibitory effect on E. coli O157:H7 in vivo, these strains labelled with different fluorescent proteins were monitored in the intestinal tracts of live mice using an in vivo imaging system. The results showed that L. casei LC2W inhibited the colonization of O157:H7 in mice. Further research found that LC2W had both prevention and treatment effects on the colitis severity of mice infected by O157:H7, where the prevention effect dominated over the treatment one. This study demonstrates a feasible method for studying the interactions between probiotics and pathogens, and the mechanisms by which probiotics reduce colitis induced by O157:H7.

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PMID: 

PLoS One. 2019 ;14(10):e0223309. Epub 2019 Oct 2. PMID: 31577828

Abstract Title: 

Efficacy of Lactobacillus-supplemented triple therapy for H. pylori eradication: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Abstract: 

AIM: To assess the effect of Lactobacillus supplementation on Helicobacter pylori eradication rates and side effects of the triple therapy.METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were searched for articles published up to July, 2019. Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 12.0 were used for statistical analyses.RESULTS: The initial database search resulted in 852 articles. Through exclusion and screening, 11 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 724 patients were finally included in this meta-analysis. The H. pylori elimination rate in the Lactobacillus supplement group was significantly higher than that in the control group (RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.08-1.25, P

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