Assessment of psychotropic-like properties of a probiotic formulation (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175) in rats and human subjects

By M. Messaoudi, Robert Lalonde, Nicolas Violle, H. Javelot, D. Desor, A. Nejdi, J. Bisson, C. Rougeot, M. Pichelin, M. Cazaubiel and 1 more. British Journal of Nutrition, 2010

1,250 citations recorded by the source corpus.

In a previous clinical study, a probiotic formulation (PF) consisting of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 (PF) decreased stress-induced gastrointestinal discomfort. Emerging evidence of a role for gut microbiota on central nervous system functions therefore suggests that oral intake of probiotics may have beneficial consequences on mood and psychological distress. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anxiolytic-like activity of PF in rats, and its possible effects on anxiety, depression, stress and coping strategies in healthy human volunteers. In the preclinical study, rats were daily administered PF for 2 weeks and subsequently tested in the conditioned defensive burying test, a screening model for anti-anxiety agents. In the clinical trial, volunteers participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised parallel group study with PF administered for 30 d and assessed with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-90), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Perceived Stress Scale, the Coping Checklist (CCL) and 24 h urinary free cortisol (UFC). Daily subchronic administration of PF significantly reduced anxiety-like behaviour in rats (P < 0·05) and alleviated psychological distress in volunteers, as measured particularly by the HSCL-90 scale (global severity index, P < 0·05; somatisation, P < 0·05; depression, P < 0·05; and anger–hostility, P < 0·05), the HADS (HADS global score, P < 0·05; and HADS-anxiety, P < 0·06), and by the CCL (problem solving, P < 0·05) and the UFC level (P < 0·05). L. helveticus R0052 and B. longum R0175 taken in combination display anxiolytic-like activity in rats and beneficial psychological effects in healthy human volunteers.

Subfields: Food Science, Gastroenterology, Molecular Biology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/61e2abdcddbc6554fad8d5b5bd71b20e95212e66

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Food Science

1. Rob Knight
2. K. Amato
3. Ted G. Dinan
4. G. Clarke
5. S. Mazmanian
6. A. Estrada
7. J. Cryan

In Gastroenterology

1. J. Cryan
2. Ted G. Dinan
3. G. Clarke
4. R. Stilling
5. P. Kennedy
6. Emeran A. Mayer
7. S. Mazmanian
8. C. Stanton

In Molecular Biology

1. J. Cryan
2. Ted G. Dinan
3. G. Clarke
4. S. Mazmanian
5. C. Stanton
6. P. Kennedy
7. T. Sampson
8. R. Stilling

Citations in the corpus

• Habitat degradation impacts black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra) gastrointestinal microbiomes (2013, background): “Future studies should examine the relationship between howler GI microbiome composition and health directly by measuring health factors that might be influenced by the microbiome such as glucocorticoid levels, parasite abundance and diversity and immunoglobulin A levels (Macpherson et al., 2008; Nei”
• Control of Brain Development, Function, and Behavior by the Microbiome (2015, positive): “Administration of L. helveticus R0052 and B. longum R0175 resulted in decreased selfreported anxiety, and notably, also resulted in decreased urinary cortisol (Messaoudi et al., 2011).”
• Consumption of fermented milk product with probiotic modulates brain activity. (2013, background): “In summary: (1) baseline anxiety, depresion, and gastrointestinal symptoms were low in all roups and showed no individual group differences; (2) o group-related changes were seen in any of the sympom reports; and (3) the study products were well tolerted.”
• Gut Microbes and the Brain: Paradigm Shift in Neuroscience (2014, background): “The percentage decrease in the total Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score was greater in the probiotic group, but not in the subscales (Messaoudi et al., 2011).”
• Minireview: Gut microbiota: the neglected endocrine organ. (2014, background): “In a recent clinical study, healthy volunteers were given Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 in combination or placebo in a doubleblind, randomized parallel-group study for 30 days (176).”