BACKGROUND Probiotics are a promising solution for managing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Saccharomyces cerevisiae ( S. cerevisiae ) I-3856 has already demonstrated beneficial effects in IBS subjects, particularly in IBS with predominant constipation (IBS-C). AIM To confirm the efficacy of S. cerevisiae I-3856 in the management of gastrointestinal symptoms in IBS-C. METHODS A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study was performed in a total of 456 subjects. After a run-in period, subjects were randomly assigned to the group receiving S. cerevisiae I-3856 (8 × 10 9 CFU daily) or the placebo for 8 wk, and they performed daily self-evaluations of gastrointestinal symptoms. The primary objective was to assess the effect of the probiotic on abdominal pain. The secondary objectives were the evaluation of other gastrointestinal symptoms, bowel movement frequency and consistency, and quality of life (QOL). RESULTS A significantly higher proportion of abdominal pain responders was reported in the Probiotic group (45.1% vs 33.9%, P = 0.017). A nonsignificant difference in the area under the curve for abdominal pain over the second month of supplementation was observed in subjects receiving probiotic vs placebo [ P = 0.073, 95%CI: -0.59 (-1.23; 0.05)]. No statistically significant differences were reported in the evolution of bowel movement frequency and stool consistency between the groups. After 8 wk of supplementation, the overall QOL score was significantly higher in the Probiotic group than in the Placebo group [ P = 0.047, 95%CI: 3.86 (0.52; 7.20)]. Furthermore, exploratory analyses showed statistically significant and clinically relevant improvements in QOL scores in abdominal pain responders vs nonresponders. CONCLUSION The results of this clinical study confirmed the abdominal pain alleviation properties of S. cerevisiae I-3856 in IBS-C. Abdominal pain relief was associated with improved QOL. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03150212.

Aim: This study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of Saccharomyces cerevisiae variant boulardii CNCM I-3799 ( S . boulardii CNCM I-3799) in the management of acute diarrhea in children. Methods: A total of 100 infants and children 3–36 months of age with acute diarrhea received medical care according to the World Health Organization guidelines on the management of acute diarrhea in children and were randomly allocated to the probiotic group ( S. boulardii CNCM I-3799 at a daily dose of 5 billion CFU twice daily) or to the placebo group. Infants and children were treated for 5 days and an extended follow-up was planned 1 and 2 months after the end of the treatment period. Primary endpoint was the time of recovery from diarrhea defined as the duration of diarrhea. Other parameters, such as frequency and consistency of stools, associated with the severity of diarrhea episodes were defined as secondary endpoints. Results: The administration of S. boulardii CNCM I-3799 was associated with beneficial effects on duration and severity of diarrhea. The time of recovery from diarrhea was significantly shorter in the probiotic group compared with the placebo group (65.8 ± 12 hours vs. 95.3 ± 17.6 hours, P = 0.0001). Faster remission in the probiotic group was also demonstrated by a shorter time before the first episode of semisolid stool [−23.5 hours, diff (95% CI): −7.99 (−31.49 to −15.51), P = 0.0001] and the faster normalization of stool consistency. S. boulardii CNCM I-3799 was well tolerated. Conclusion: S. boulardii CNCM I-3799 supplementation in children with acute diarrhea was shown effective in reducing the duration and severity of diarrhea in infants and children.

BACKGROUND Postoperative recurrence (POR) after ileocecal resection (ICR) affects most Crohn's disease patients within 3-5 years after surgery. Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) typified by the LF82 strain are pathobionts that are frequently detected in POR of Crohn's disease and have a potential role in the early stages of the disease pathogenesis. Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856 is a probiotic yeast reported to inhibit AIEC adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells and to favor their elimination from the gut. AIM To evaluate the efficacy of CNCM I-3856 in preventing POR induced by LF82 in an HLA-B27 transgenic (TgB27) rat model. METHODS Sixty-four rats [strain F344, 38 TgB27, 26 control non-Tg (nTg)] underwent an ICR at the 12 th wk (W12) of life and were sacrificed at the 18 th wk (W18) of life. TgB27 rats were challenged daily with oral administration of LF82 (10 9 colony forming units (CFUs)/day (d), n = 8), PBS ( n = 5), CNCM I-3856 (10 9 CFUs/d, n = 7) or a combination of LF82 and CNCM I-3856 ( n = 18). nTg rats receiving LF82 ( n = 5), PBS ( n = 5), CNCM I-3856 ( n = 7) or CNCM I-3856 and LF82 ( n = 9) under the same conditions were used as controls. POR was analyzed using macroscopic (from 0 to 4) and histologic (from 0 to 6) scores. Luminal LF82 quantifications were performed weekly for each animal. Adherent LF82 and inflammatory/regulatory cytokines were quantified in biopsies at W12 and W18. Data are expressed as the median with the interquartile range. RESULTS nTg animals did not develop POR. A total of 7/8 (87%) of the TgB27 rats receiving LF82 alone had POR (macroscopic score ≥ 2), which was significantly prevented by CNCM I-3856 administration [6/18 (33%) TgB27 rats, P = 0.01]. Macroscopic lesions were located 2 cm above the anastomosis in the TgB27 rats receiving LF82 alone and consisted of ulcerations with a score of 3.5 (2 - 4). Seven out of 18 TgB27 rats (39%) receiving CNCM I-3856 and LF82 had no macroscopic lesions. Compared to untreated TgB27 animals receiving LF82 alone, coadministration of CNCM I-3856 and LF82 significantly reduced the macroscopic [3.5 (2 - 4) vs 1 (0 - 3), P = 0.002] and histological lesions by more than 50% [4.5 (3.3 - 5.8) vs 2 (1.3 - 3), P = 0.003]. The levels of adherent LF82 were correlated with anastomotic macroscopic scores in TgB27 rats ( r = 0.49, P = 0.006), with a higher risk of POR in anim...