Clinical effectiveness of Bacillus clausii and Lactic acid bacillus in acute diarrhea

Abstract

dults and children commonly present with acute diarrhea due to various etiologies. Depending on the duration, acute diarrhea is defined as, the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day lasting for <14 days (<2 weeks) in duration [1]. It is of concern since acute diarrhea in children is one of the biggest public health problems related to higher morbidity and mortality rates. It is also the second leading cause of death in children under 5 years worldwide [1,2].To combat diarrheal diseases, many treatment options have been made available.Recently, probiotics are one of the most researched subjects in the pediatric discipline. Probiotics are defined as, non-pathogenic live microorganism which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit to the host [3]. They basically affect the intestinal microbial balance of the host and improve his/her immunity, thus showing preventive as well as curative effects on diarrhea of different etiologies [4,5]. This study was carried out with an aim to compare the effectiveness of two different species of probiotic bacteria, Bacillus clausii and Lactic acid bacillus, in acute diarrhea. MATERIALS AND METHODSThis prospective, single centric, parallel group, single blind, and randomized clinical study commenced after obtaining approval from Institutional Ethics Committee. It was conducted from January 2018 to June 2019 at the Department of Pediatrics of a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital. The sample size was 150 patients which were calculated using Cochran's formula. Among these, 75 patients each were included in two Groups A and B. This randomization was carried out through a lottery method by a random allocator who was not associated with the study.The data were collected on a case record form after the informed written consent was obtained from parent or guardian. Infants and children between 6 months and 5 years, suffering from acute diarrhea and seeking treatment at this set-up, were included in the study. Infants and children whose parents or guardian were not willing to give their written informed consent, those with other co-morbid conditions such as the presence of blood/mucus in stool, co-existing acute systemic illness, shock, any infection, immune-deficiency states, severe dehydration, lactose intolerance, severe acute malnutrition or those who were already on probiotic before the hospital visit were excluded from the study.Groups A and B patients were administered probiotics -Bacillus clausii (2 billion spores) and Lactic acid bacillus (1.5 billion spores), respectively, along with ORS+Zinc orally twice a day. They were followed-up until they passed three consecutive stools with normal consistency and/or frequency to calculate the effectiveness of probiotics in acute diarrhea with respect

Alkalihalobacillus clausii 088AE as a functional and medical food ingredient: assessment of in vitro protein digestibility and food calorie reduction

“…Shah et al . (2020) showed that B . clausii (2 billion spores) along with ORS and zinc (bid) resumed normal stool consistency and frequency in infants and children suffering from acute diarrhoea.…”

“…As example, De Castro et al (2020) reported a significant reduction in the duration of acute diarrhoea in children in the B. clausii group compared with the ORS with or without zinc supplementation from a meta-analysis of six randomised control trials involving 898 patients. Shah et al (2020) showed that B. clausii (2 billion spores) along with ORS and zinc (bid) resumed normal stool consistency and frequency in infants and children suffering from acute diarrhoea. Since, strains of A. clausii have therapeutic impact in various gastrointestinal and extraintestinal ailments, the use of various medicinal ingredients like cough syrup, gripe water, ORS, simethicone and others can potentially deliver A. clausii 088AE cells without compromising its viability at the site of action, i.e.…”

Therapeutic efficacy of probiotic Alkalihalobacillus clausii 088AE in antibiotic-associated diarrhea: A randomized controlled trial

“…Shah et al. [ 41 ], in an interesting study (n = 225), determined the comparative therapeutic efficacy between B. clausii and L actic A cid B acillus (LAB) in children (<5 y). The study showed that a 4 billion CFU/day of B. clausii along with ORS + Zinc supplement showed better efficacy than LAB in terms of faster recovery and achieving normal stool frequency.…”