PLoS One. 2016 Dec 9;11(12):e0167775. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167775. eCollection 2016.
- 1Division
of Gastroenterology-Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, NUTRIM
School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism,
Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
- 2Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
- 3Winclove Probiotics BV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- 4Science Department, University College Roosevelt, Middelburg, the Netherlands.
- 5Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS:
Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics have been suggested as dietary
strategies to improve intestinal barrier function. This study aimed to
assess the effect of two weeks synbiotic supplementation on intestinal
permeability under basal and stressed conditions. Secondary aims were
the assessment of two weeks synbiotic supplementation on systemic immune
function and gastrointestinal symptoms including defecation pattern.
DESIGN:
Twenty healthy adults completed a double-blind, controlled, randomized, parallel design study.
INTERVENTION:
Groups either received synbiotic (1.5 × 1010 CFU Ecologic® 825 + 10 g fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS P6) per day) or control supplements for two weeks.
OUTCOMES:
Intestinal
segment specific permeability was assessed non-invasively by oral
administration of multiple sugar probes and, subsequently, assessing the
excretion of these probes in urine. This test was conducted at baseline
and at the end of intervention, in the absence and in the presence of
an indomethacin challenge. Indomethacin was applied to induce a
compromised gut state. Plasma zonulin, cytokines and chemokines were
measured at baseline and at the end of intervention. Gastrointestinal
symptoms and stool frequency were recorded at baseline and daily during
intervention.
RESULTS:
Significantly
more male subjects were in the synbiotic group compared to the control
group (P = 0.025). Indomethacin significantly increased urinary
lactulose/rhamnose ratio versus without indomethacin, both in the
control group (P = 0.005) and in the synbiotic group (P = 0.017).
Urinary sugar recoveries and ratios, plasma levels of zonulin, cytokines
and chemokines, and gastrointestinal symptom scores were not
significantly different after control or synbiotic intervention. Stool
frequency within the synbiotic group was significantly increased during
synbiotic intervention compared to baseline (P = 0.039) and higher
compared to control intervention (P = 0.045).
CONCLUSION:
Two
weeks Ecologic® 825/FOS P6 supplementation increased stool frequency,
but did not affect intestinal permeability neither under basal nor under
indomethacin-induced stressed conditions, immune function or
gastrointestinal symptoms in healthy adults.
