Effect of a Synbiotic Containing Lactobacillus paracasei and Opuntia humifusa on a Murine Model of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Abstract

The administration of a combination of probiotics and prebiotics is expected to be a promising strategy for improving irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a synbiotic containing Lactobacillus paracasei and Opuntia humifusa extract for symptomatic improvement of IBS in a murine model and to evaluate the mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of this synbiotic. A total of 20 male Wistar rats aged 8 weeks with IBS induced by restraint stress were assigned into four groups and administered L. paracasei as a probiotic and O. humifusa extract as a prebiotic for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was stool consistency at week 4. To evaluate the mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of the synbiotic, fecal microbial analysis was conducted, and the serum corticosterone levels, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in the colon tissue, and expression of tight junction proteins were investigated. All three treatment groups showed significantly lower scores for stool consistency than the control group at week 4 (all p < 0.001). When compared with the control group, the synbiotic groups showed a significantly greater abundance of L. paracasei in fecal microbial analysis, lower serum corticosterone levels, lower TNF-α levels in the colon tissue, and higher expression of tight junction proteins. This novel synbiotic containing L. paracasei and O. humifusa extract can improve the stool consistency in a murine model of IBS. It may be a promising treatment option for IBS, and human studies are warranted.

Effect of Heat-Killed Lactobacillus casei DKGF7 on a Rat Model of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

“…There is a considerable amount of data demonstrating the beneficial effects of probiotics on improvement in IBS [ 25 , 44 ] and the ability of non-viable bacteria as an immunomodulator in the intestinal environment of hosts [ 15 ]. However, there is still a lack of evidence supporting the clinical use of heat-killed bacteria as a treatment for IBS.…”

“…A restraint model was used to mimic human IBS as described in our previous experiment [ 25 ]. Male Wistar rats weighing 304.7 ± 1.4 g and aged eight weeks were purchased from Oriental Bio Co. (Seongnam, Korea) and were raised in a sterile pathogen-free environment.…”

“…Tight junction proteins, including claudin-1 and zona occludens-1 (ZO-1), were measured in the colon tissue using immunohistochemistry (IHC) following the protocol of Seong et al [ 25 ]. Briefly, 4-µm paraffin-embedded tissue sections were de-paraffinized with xylene, and endogenous peroxidase activity was blocked with 3% hydrogen peroxide in PBS.…”

“…Recently, this strain was licensed as the code of Lactobacillus casei DKGF7 from the Korea health supplement institute (KHSI). In our previous studies, we demonstrated the effect of different species and forms of Lactobacillus from kimchi on the improvement of IBS symptoms using a rat IBS model [ 23 , 24 , 25 ]. Building on that work, this study was designed to evaluate the beneficial effects of heat-killed Lactobacillus casei DKGF7 on improving IBS symptoms in an animal disease model and to investigate the mechanisms of action by these paraprobiotics on the disease itself.…”

Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics in the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment: A Review

“…paracasei DKGF and Opuntia humifusa extract as a prebiotic, effective in IBS murine model. Nevertheless, its functionality must be further assessed in humans [ 144 ].…”