SUMMARYAim: To investigate the effects of a probiotic formulation, VSL#3, on gastrointestinal transit and symptoms of patients with Rome II irritable bowel syndrome with predominant diarrhoea. Methods: Twenty-five patients with diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome were randomly assigned to receive VSL#3 powder (450 billion lyophilized bacteria/day) or matching placebo twice daily for 8 weeks after a 2-week run-in period. Pre-and posttreatment gastrointestinal transit measurements were performed in all patients. Patients recorded their bowel function and symptoms daily in a diary during the 10-week study, which was powered to detect a 50% change in the primary colonic transit end-point. Results: There were no significant differences in mean gastrointestinal transit measurements, bowel function scores or satisfactory global symptom relief between the two treatment groups, pre-or post-therapy. Differences in abdominal bloating scores between treatments were borderline significant (P ¼ 0.09, analysis of covariance). Further analysis revealed that abdominal bloating was reduced (P ¼ 0.046) with VSL#3 [mean post-minus pre-treatment score, ) 13.7; 95% confidence interval (CI), ) 2.5 to ) 24.9], but not with placebo (P ¼ 0.54) (mean post-minus pre-treatment score, ) 1.7; 95% CI, 7

Heme-oxygenase 1 (HO-1) degrades heme and protects against oxidative stress, but has not been pharmacologically induced in humans. In this randomized study (10 healthy

Lack of control of food intake, excess size, and frequency of meals are critical to the development of obesity. The stomach signals satiation postprandially and may play an important role in control of calorie intake. Sodium alginate (based on brown seaweed Laminaria digitata) is currently marketed as a weight loss supplement, but its effects on gastric motor functions and satiation are unknown. We evaluated effects of 10 days treatment with alginate or placebo on gastric functions, satiation, appetite, and gut hormones associated with satiety in overweight or obese adults. We conducted a randomized, 1:1, placebo‐controlled, allocation‐concealed study in 48 overweight or obese participants with excluded psychiatric comorbidity and binge eating disorder. All underwent measurements of gastric emptying (GE), fasting, and postprandial gastric volumes (GVs), postprandial satiation, calorie intake at a free choice meal and selected gut hormones after 1 week of alginate (three capsules vs. matching placebo per day, ingested 30 min before the main meal). Six capsules were ingested with water 30 min before the GE, GV, and satiation tests on days 8–10. There were no treatment group effects on GE or volumes, gut hormones (ghrelin, cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1), peptide YY (PYY)), satiation, total and macronutrient calorie intake at a free choice meal. There was no difference detected in results between obese and overweight patients. Alginate treatment for a period of 10 days showed no effect on gastric motor functions, satiation, appetite, or gut hormones. These results question the use of short‐term alginate treatment for weight loss.

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