Probiotics

Probiotics for pediatric atopic dermatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Arif MI, Dai Q, Ru L · The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. Global · 2026

Atopic dermatitis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disease in children and the severity of the disease can be affected by modulation of gut microbiota through probiotics. Nonetheless, the clinical trial outcomes on the effectiveness of probiotics in child atopic dermatitis are inconclusive. We sought to compare the effects of using probiotics in comparison with placebo in children/adolescents with eczema/atopic dermatitis. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library from inception to March 2025. Statistical analyses were done in Review Manager version 5.4.1 (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark). Pooling the trials using a fixed effect yielded standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% CI. A total of 13 randomized controlled trials were used. SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) was used for assessing the efficacy of probiotics on atopic dermatitis. Subgroup analysis demonstrated a statistically nonsignificant difference in SCORAD within the first

The efficacy of probiotics, prebiotics or synbiotics in scleroderma: A systematic review.

Wach AA, Storman D, Więckowski K, Wojtaszek-Główka M, Żabicka W, Krupka K · Clinical nutrition ESPEN · 2025 · n=56

Pathogenesis of systemic scleroderma is a complex subject. Previous research has emphasized a possible contribution of the intestinal microbiome in developing symptoms. The use of probiotic formulas brings benefit in treatment of various autoimmune diseases, but the evidence for scleroderma is still not exhaustive. No official recommendations have been formulated on this topic, nor has the existing evidence been evaluated. We aimed to assess the efficacy of probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics in patients with scleroderma with a focus on the improvement of symptoms and change in the quality of life (QoL) both measured using validated scales, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) eradication, as well as change in the intensity of interstitial lung disease and occurrence of pulmonary hypertension. We performed a systematic search for randomized trials that assessed the beneficial and harmful effects of pro-, pre-, and synbiotics in patients with scleroderma. Pairs of authors in

Use of Probiotics and Synbiotics in the Treatment of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and Other Gastrointestinal Symptoms After Metabolic Bariatric Surgery: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Wagner NRF, Fernandes R, Teixeira Frota Reichmann M, Lopes MCP, Welc LLS, Campos ACL · Obesity surgery · 2025

Metabolic bariatric surgery is considered the most effective treatment for severe obesity, however it may be associated with the development of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and other gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS). This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of probiotics or synbiotics on GIS and SIBO in post- metabolic bariatric surgery patients. Five studies that investigated the effect of probiotics or synbiotics in the treatment of post-surgery GIS were included in the review, with three focusing on SIBO. For the meta-analysis, three studies assessed GIS, and two examined SIBO. The results showed that probiotics did not offer significant benefits in treating GIS or SIBO in these patients.

Clostridium butyricum and its metabolites regulate macrophage polarization through miR-146a to antagonize gouty arthritis.

Song S, Shi K, Fan M, Wen X, Li J, Guo Y · Journal of advanced research · 2026

Gut microbiota modulation has recently been identified as a prospective avenue for the exploration of novel therapeutic strategies for the management of gout. Nevertheless, the application of a single specific strain or bacterial metabolite for gout intervention has rarely been explored and the underlying regulatory mechanism remains elusive. To ascertain the potential role and the molecular mechanism of Clostridium butyricum and butyrate in the management of gouty arthritis. A Uox-KO mouse model of gouty arthritis was developed and the composition of the gut microbiota was analyzed. C. butyricum and butyrate were supplemented to assess functional recovery and intestinal homeostasis. NanoString analysis identified miRNA variations. GC/MS measured butyric acid levels and qPCR detected the abundance of butyrate-producing enzymes and bacteria. Flow cytometry analyzed macrophage polarization and ELISA measured pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Agomir and antagomir were transfected an

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and Pediatric Obesity-A Systematic Review.

Koller AM, Săsăran MO, Mărginean CO · Nutrients · 2025

Background/Objectives: Childhood obesity is a growing global concern linked to metabolic disorders such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) may exacerbate these conditions by promoting systemic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. This review evaluates the prevalence of SIBO in obese children, its association with inflammatory and metabolic markers, and the efficacy of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (2010-present) was conducted using Boolean operators: ('small intestinal bacterial overgrowth' OR 'SIBO') AND 'prevalence' AND ('low-grade inflammatory markers' OR 'metabolic status') AND 'gut microbiome' AND 'dysbiosis' AND 'obese children'. Results: The data show that SIBO is frequently observed in obese pediatric populations and is associated with gut dysbiosis, impaired nutrient absorption, and reduced production of short-chain fatty acids. These changes co

Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics as Oral Supplements for Skin Health, Function, and Disease Throughout the Life Course: A Scoping Review.

Hillier RA, Gibson R, Maruthappu T, Whelan K, Prpa EJ, Neill HR · Nutrition reviews · 2025

In this review we sought to map the body of published literature on the role of oral probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics in maintaining and optimizing skin health and function and preventing and managing skin conditions throughout the life course. Globally, the burden of skin diseases is considerable. Diet is a modifiable risk factor for many dermatological conditions, and one mechanism by which nutrition influences skin health is through the gut microbiome. Oral probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics have the potential to improve skin health, delay skin aging, and successfully treat dermatological diseases. We developed a scoping review protocol in accordance with the Johanna Briggs Institute methodology. Six online databases were systematically searched for peer-reviewed literature, and non-peer-reviewed sources were also considered. All records were screened independently by 2 reviewers using predefined eligibility criteria. A total of 516 studies were included in the scoping rev

Pharmacologic treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Position statement of the Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología, 2024.

Remes-Troche JM, Coss-Adame E, Schmulson M, García-Zermeño KR, Amieva-Balmori M, Carmona-Sánchez R · Revista de gastroenterologia de Mexico (English) · 2025

The aim of this position statement is to provide health professionals with an updated and evidence-based guideline for the pharmacologic management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in Mexico. A literature review was conducted that included relevant guidelines and studies, up to the date of its publication. The mechanism of action, specific indications in IBS, safety profile, and availability of each therapeutic class were evaluated. The recommendations were developed by 14 experts, considering the clinical reality of IBS patients in Mexico. Specific recommendations were issued for each class. Antispasmodics (alone or combined) are used as first-line therapy for pain management, whereas antidiarrheals, such as loperamide, are used for reducing diarrhea in diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) and laxatives are used for constipation in constipation-predominant IBS (IBS-C). 5-HT4 agonists (prucalopride and mosapride) are recommended in IBS-C and 5-HT3 antagonists (ondansetron) are recommend

European Consensus on Functional Bloating and Abdominal Distension-An ESNM/UEG Recommendations for Clinical Management.

Melchior C, Hammer H, Bor S, Barba E, Horvat IB, Celebi A · United European gastroenterology journal · 2025

Abdominal distension is an objective visible sign of increased abdominal girth. Bloating is a feeling of abdominal fullness and discomfort. Bloating may be associated or not with abdominal distension. Bloating and abdominal distension are among the most commonly reported gastrointestinal symptoms and may be associated with both organic and functional disorders. Nevertheless, specific consensus and recommendations on diagnosis, underlying mechanisms, assessment and management of functional bloating and abdominal distension are still lacking. The aim of this European consensus, then, is to provide expert opinions and recommendations on the epidemiology, diagnosis, pathophysiology and treatment of functional bloating and abdominal distension. A multidisciplinary team of experts in the field, including European specialists and national societies, participated in the development of this consensus. Relevant questions were formulated and addressed through a literature review and statements w

British Dietetic Association Guidelines for the Dietary Management of Chronic Constipation in Adults.

Dimidi E, van der Schoot A, Barrett K, Farmer AD, Lomer MC, Scott SM · Neurogastroenterology and motility · 2025

Current clinical guidelines for chronic constipation offer limited dietary recommendations. The aim of this project was to develop the first comprehensive evidence-based dietary guidelines for the management of chronic constipation in adults. Four systematic reviews and meta-analyses were performed to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The findings generated from the meta-analyses were then used to develop guideline statements using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach and a Delphi consensus survey among a multidisciplinary expert Guideline Steering Committee. Recommendation statements were produced for treatment response, stool output, gut symptoms, adverse events, and quality of life, and only based on the findings where ≥ 2 RCTs contributed to the meta-analysis. The strength of recommendation was assessed using the GRADE approach. Consensus voting among the Guideline Steering Committee was performe

Effect of Probiotics Supplementation on REM Sleep Behavior Disorder and Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Study.

Du Y, Wang L, Cui Y, Xu X, Zhang M, Li Y · CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2025

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients experience gut microbiota dysbiosis. Probiotic intervention could potentially serve as a safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic approach for PD, but its effects on rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and motor symptoms in PD patients warrant further investigation. To examine the influence of probiotics on RBD, motor symptoms, gut microbiota, and serum metabolites in individuals with PD. In this randomized controlled trial, PD patients were randomly allocated to either a probiotics or a control group while maintaining standard treatments. Clinical outcomes, including Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and RBD Questionnaire-Hong Kong (RBDQ-HK) were assessed at baseline and post-treatment. Furthermore, fecal and blood samples were collected from PD patients at both timepoints, with additional samples obtained from healthy controls for comparison. The 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 region sequencing method was used to analyze gut micro

Effects of a Four-Strain Probiotic on Gut Microbiota, Inflammation, and Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Leta V, Zinzalias P, Batzu L, Mandal G, Staunton J, Jernstedt F · Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society · 2025 · n=74

Gut dysbiosis and gut-brain-axis involvement in people with Parkinson's disease (PwP) support the use of gut-microbiota-modulating interventions. Probiotics may help manage constipation in PwP; however, mechanisms underpinning additional beneficial properties are unknown. The aim was evaluating the effects of a probiotic (Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Enterococcus faecium) on gut microbiota, inflammation, motor and non-motor symptoms (NMS) in PwP and constipation. In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (NCT05146921), PwP and constipation were randomized (1:1) to receive either the probiotic (4.08 × 108 CFU/mL) or placebo orally (70 mL/day) for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was the differential abundance of gut microbiota taxa between baseline and end-of-treatment in the active versus placebo group. Secondary/exploratory endpoints included changes in inflamma

Gut microbiome differences in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder and effects of probiotic supplementation: A randomized controlled trial.

Novau-Ferré N, Papandreou C, Rojo-Marticella M, Canals-Sans J, Bulló M · Research in developmental disabilities · 2025

Emerging evidence suggests a significant role of gut microbiota on neurodevelopmental disorders, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Our study aimed to compare gut microbiota composition between these disorders and evaluate the effect of probiotic supplementation. We conducted a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 80 children aged 5-14 years (39 with ADHD, 41 with ASD). Baseline and post-intervention fecal samples were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify changes in gut microbiota composition. We identified 22 taxa differentiating ADHD and ASD (AUC = 0.939), characterised by increased presence of Clostridia, Ruminococcaceae, and Lachnospiraceae in ADHD, and Bacteroides, Bacilli and Actinobacteria in ASD. These differences remained after accounting for potential confounders. ASD children receiving probiotics had significant increases in Chao 1, Fisher's alpha, and Shannon indices wher

The role of Fusobacterium nucleatum in the pathogenesis of endometriosis: A microbial and microenvironmental perspective.

Remmani NB, Harous ZS, Alzaidy RQ, Ahmednour SA, Egusa H, Soliman SSM · Anaerobe · 2026

Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory gynecological condition characterized by the ectopic growth of endometrial-like tissue, with an unclear etiology and limited treatment efficacy. Recent studies implicate the oral and gut commensal bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, with uterine colonization reported in up to 64% of affected women. This review highlights the potential role of F. nucleatum in disease progression, particularly through its metabolic activation within the endometrial microenvironment. We explore the contribution of key bacterial metabolites (formate, lactate, and hydrogen sulfide), proteins (FadA and Fap2), and lipids (oxidized LDL, lysophosphatidylcholines, and saturated fatty acids) to inflammation, immune evasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), features that overlap with tumor biology. The review also investigates the preferential triggers of F. nucleatum translocation into the endometrium. Host factors such as hy

Management of Chronic Constipation: A Comprehensive Review.

Hojo M, Shibuya T, Nagahara A · Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) · 2025

Traditionally, the treatment of chronic constipation has focused on lifestyle modification, dietary guidance and therapy, and osmotic and stimulant laxatives. Recently, several drugs with new mechanisms of action have been introduced as treatments for chronic constipation. In Japan, polyethylene glycol and lactulose can now be administered under insurance coverage. The number of treatment options for constipation has increased dramatically. First, lifestyle modifications and dietary therapies must be implemented. If constipation does not improve sufficiently, specialized functional tests are performed to diagnose physiological subgroups. If functional tests are not available, patients are classified as having the "decreased frequency of defecation" type or the "difficult defecation" type based on the patient's symptoms, with treatment applied according to each type. Medical therapy includes osmotic laxatives, secretagogues, bile acid transporter inhibitors, probiotics, prokinetics, and

Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines for Chronic Constipation 2023.

Ihara E, Manabe N, Ohkubo H, Ogasawara N, Ogino H, Kakimoto K · Digestion · 2025

The Japan Gastroenterological Association published the first version of its clinical guidelines for chronic constipation 2023. Based on the latest evidence, these guidelines describe the definition, classification, diagnostic criteria, diagnostic testing methods, epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of chronic constipation. They include flowcharts for both diagnosis and treatment of chronic constipation. In the treatment of chronic constipation, the first step involves differentiating between secondary forms, such as organic disease-associated constipation, systemic disease-associated constipation, and drug-induced constipation. The next step is to determine whether the chronic constipation stems from a motility disorder, a form of primary chronic constipation. For functional constipation and constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, treatment should be initiated after evaluating symptoms like reduced bowel movement frequency type or defecation difficulty type. The fi

Gut microbiota dysbiosis orchestrates vitiligo-related oxidative stress through the metabolite hippuric acid.

Ni Q, Xia L, Huang Y, Yuan X, Gu W, Chen Y · Microbiome · 2025

Vitiligo, a depigmenting autoimmune skin disease characterized by melanocyte dysfunction or death, is known to be associated with an imbalance in gut microbiota. Oxidative stress plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo. However, the complex promising interaction between abnormal accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the skin and gut microbiota has remained unclear. Here, we compared transcriptome data of vitiligo lesions and normal skin and identified a high expression of oxidative stress-related genes in vitiligo lesions. We also established a vitiligo mouse model and found that the presence of gut microbiota influenced the expression of ROS-related genes. Depletion of gut microbiota reduced abnormal ROS accumulation and mitochondrial abnormalities in melanocytes, significantly improving depigmentation. Our findings from manipulating gut microbiota through cohousing, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and probiotic supplementation showed that transferrin

Probiotics: What You Need To Know

NCCIH

This NCCIH fact sheet offers an overview of probiotics, covering what they are, common types, and the scientific evidence for their use in various health conditions, including digestive health. It aims to inform the public about the benefits and risks.

Prospective Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study of Oral Probiotics on the Microbiome and Lipidome in Acne Vulgaris

n=70 · NCT04596748 · UNKNOWN · UNKNOWN

The purpose of this study is to determine how probiotics affect sebum production and gut health in those with acne vulgaris.

Two Lactobacilli Strains as Adjuvant Therapy in the Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial

n=100 · NCT05523427 · COMPLETED · COMPLETED

Studying the effects of adding probiotics to the drug regimen of patients with diarrhea predominant IBS

Effect of Spore-forming Probiotics in Functional Dyspepsia Patients: a Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial

n=60 · NCT04030780 · COMPLETED · COMPLETED

Single-site prospective interventional study aiming to demonstrate the effect of spore-forming probiotics on dyspeptic symptoms and blood, saliva and stool parameters in FD patients with and without acid suppression, compared to placebo.