Navigation
Probiotic consumption relieved human stress and anxiety symptoms via modulating the gut microbiota and neuroactive potential
Stress has been demonstrated to affect human intestinal microbiota, causing mental health derangements like anxiety and depression. The functions of the gut microbiota include the synthesis and/or consumption of several neuroactive molecules, and several human studies demonstrated how probiotics can alter neurotransmitter levels by influencing the microbiome. However, several challenges stood in the face of understanding the biological importance of microbial neuroactive compounds, namely, the need for a reference database documenting their corresponding human intestinal microbiota reference genomes. In their previous studies, Ma et al. showed how consuming the probiotic strain Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum P-8 for 12 weeks improved stress and anxiety in adults. In this recent study (2020), the authors followed up on their previous work to understand the underlying mechanisms behind their results through the use of fecal metagenomic analysis of the probiotic (n = 43) and placebo (n = 36) groups. Analysis of the results demonstrated a substantial difference in gut microbiota between probiotic and placebo groups, with a significant decline of microbiome diversity observed in the placebo group compared to the probiotic group. Furthermore, the probiotic group demonstrated a substantial enhancement in the species-level genome bins (SGBs) of Bifidobacterium adolescent, Bifidobacterium longum, and Fecalibacterium prausnitzii, and reductions in Roseburia faeci and Fusicatenibacter saccharivorans. In addition, the 12-week probiotic supplement regimen increased the diversity of neurotransmitter-synthesizing and/or -consuming SGBs and their dependent levels of neuroactive molecules (namely, short-chain fatty acids, gamma-aminobutyric acid, arachidonic acid, and sphingomyelin). In conclusion, the authors highlight a possible mechanism explaining how probiotics alleviate stress and anxiety through the gut-brain axis, which may present a potential interventional avenue to address stress and anxiety. [NPID: Stress, anxiety, depression, gut microbiota, gut brain axis, neurotransmitter metabolites]
Year: 2021
