Targeting the microbiota, from irritable bowel syndrome to mood disorders: focus on probiotics and prebiotics

Alterations in gut microbiota composition have been associated with anxiety behaviors in rodents, but the neural mechanisms connecting microbiota and their metabolites to anxiety are not yet understood. The immediate early c-Fos gene expression in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) significantly increased in male C57BL/6J germ-free (GF) mice in this study by Yu et al. (2025), […]

This 2016 review discusses the impact of manipulating tryptophan levels, which modifies peripheral and central serotonin levels, on mood and cognition. In addition, Jenkins et al. (2016) considers the potential influence of the gut-brain axis (bi-directional communication between the brain and gastrointestinal tract) which effectively links emotional and cognitive centres of the brain with peripheral […]