Effect of a Probiotic and a Synbiotic on Body Fat Mass, Body Weight and Traits of Metabolic Syndrome in Individuals with Abdominal Overweight: A Human, Double-Blind, Randomised, Controlled Clinical Study

Abstract

L. fermentum strains K7-Lb1, K8-Lb1 and K11-Lb3 were found to suppress Th1 and Th2 response and to enhance defensin release by enterocytes, respectively. Based on these anti-inflammatory actions, we investigated the effect of these strains on traits of metabolic syndrome, which is driven by low-grade inflammation. In a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial with three parallel arms, 180 individuals with abdominal overweight were administered for 3 months with (1) placebo; (2) probiotic, comprising L. fermentum strains; or (3) synbiotic, comprising the strains + acacia gum (10 g daily). The effects were evaluated using Kruskal–Wallis one-way analysis of variance on ranks and post hoc tests (Holm–Sidak and Dunn’s tests). The alteration (∆) in body fat mass (kg) (primary parameter) during intervention was significantly (p = 0.039) more pronounced in the Probiotic group (−0.61 ± 1.94; mean ± SD) compared with the Placebo group (+0.13 ± 1.64). Accordingly, differences were found in ∆ body weight (p = 0.012), BMI (p = 0.011), waist circumference (p = 0.03), waist-to-height ratio (p = 0.033), visceral adipose tissue (SAD) (p < 0.001) and liver steatosis grade (LSG) (p < 0.001), as assessed using sonography. In the Synbiotic group, ∆SAD (p = 0.002), ∆LSG (p < 0.001) and ∆constipation score (p = 0.009) were improved compared with Placebo. The probiotic mixture and the synbiotic improved the parameters associated with overweight.

Pan-cancer analysis of NUP155 and validation of its role in breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis

“…NUP155 expression in TCGA dataset was investigated at different pathological or clinical stages of pan-cancer using statistical methods, including Kruskal-Wallis Test and Dunn’s test [ 26 – 28 ]. When the data comprised < 3 samples or the standard deviation of the data was 0, stages I and II were combined for early-stage tumors or stages III and IV were combined for late-stage tumors before performing statistical analysis.…”

Bacteroides and NAFLD: pathophysiology and therapy

“…Reasonable assumptions regarding the clinical utilization of Bacteroides have been formulated based on animal experiments and clinical studies involving other probiotics. For the recommended clinical dosage of Bacteroides , we hypothesized that a daily dose ranging from 2 × 10 8 to 1 × 10 10 colony forming units (CFU) ( Silva-Sperb et al, 2019 ; Laue et al, 2023 ) is suitable for healthy adults. This dosage range is considered safe and effective.…”

Benefits of Combining Sonchus brachyotus DC. Extracts and Synbiotics in Alleviating Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

“…The gut microbiome is considered a key factor in the development of NAFLD [ 59 ], so the regulation of the intestinal microecology is a crucial focus for future NAFLD treatments. In recent years, the clinical research on synbiotics for NAFLD treatment has shown promising results [ 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 ]. The selection of appropriate probiotics and prebiotics to improve NAFLD progression is becoming increasingly feasible and predictable.…”