The Beneficial Effects of Probiotics via Autophagy: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Probiotics are living microorganisms increasingly used to treat or modulate different diseases or disorders because of their benefits and also low adverse reaction, and their positive and protective effects on various cells and tissues have been reported. The mechanisms by which probiotics exert their beneficial effects in different cells and tissues were investigated, and autophagy is one of the main mechanisms to induce their positive effects. Autophagy is a conserved process that occurs in all eukaryotic cells and plays an essential role in homeostasis and cell survival by degrading damaged and dysfunctional intracellular organelles. On the other hand, the role of autophagy is diverse in different tissues and situations, and cell death derived from autophagy has been observed in some cells. This search was done in PubMed, WOS, and Scopus using the keywords probiotic, microbiota, and autophagy. The search strategy was focused on the in vitro and animal model studies, and the included filters were English language publications and full-text articles (by June 2020). Studies that investigated other underlying mechanisms except autophagy were excluded. Among more than 105 papers, 24 studies were considered eligible for more evaluation. The obtained results indicated that most studies were performed on intestinal cell lines or tissue compared with other types of cell lines and tissue. This review article discusses our current understanding of the probiotic effects through autophagy in different cell lines and tissues that would be a useful guide to daily and clinical usage of these living microorganisms, but despite promising results of this systematic review, further studies need to assess this issue. This systematic review has demonstrated that autophagy is an effective mechanism in inducing beneficial effects of probiotics in different tissues.

Reduced liver damage and fibrosis with combined SCD Probiotics and intermittent fasting in aged rat

“…However, the fact that SCD Probiotics are more effective here also draws attention because it is reported that the activation of autophagy mechanisms requires a fasting state for a certain period 25 . However, it is known that probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus plantarum , which is also included in SCD Probiotics, have the properties of activating the autophagy mechanisms 26 . On the other hand, fully comprehending the differences in the Amid I and Amid II bands used to calculate protein content requires approaches such as proteomics.…”

“… 25 However, it is known that probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus plantarum , which is also included in SCD Probiotics, have the properties of activating the autophagy mechanisms. 26 On the other hand, fully comprehending the differences in the Amid I and Amid II bands used to calculate protein content requires approaches such as proteomics.…”

Supplementing probiotics during intermittent fasting proves more effective in restoring ileum and colon tissues in aged rats

“…These mechanisms remove misfolded or aggregated proteins and clear damaged organelles like mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and peroxisomes, promoting cell regeneration in the intestinal epithelium. 4 , 35 These findings suggest a broader, more encompassing role for IF and SCD Probiotics in age‐related intestinal health management.…”

Evidence for Beneficial Physiological Responses of the Land Snail Cornu aspersum to Probiotics’ (Lactobacillus plantarum) Dietary Intervention

“…The exact cellular mechanisms related to the beneficial effects of probiotics are not well known. Several investigations, however, have shown that these mechanisms might be associated with stress responses, including several members of heat shock proteins (HSPs), and/or increased efficiency of antioxidant and autophagy cellular mechanisms, resulting in higher cell viability [ 15 ]. It is well known that HSPs are involved in several physiological processes including growth, lifespan, and reproduction stress tolerance [ 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”