Yogurt containing lactic acid bacteria may help restore gut microbiota balance

A joint research group from Tokai University Hachioji Hospital and Meiji Co., Ltd. has shown that continued consumption of yogurt containing Meiji's proprietary lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus paragasseri OLL2716 may help improve gut microbiota dysbiosis in users of acid-suppressive agents (ASAs) and low-dose aspirin (LDA). This was discovered from an analysis of fecal microbiota before and after six weeks of yogurt consumption among users of ASAs, users of both ASAs and LDA, and a control group. The results could lead to new strategies for preventing or mitigating LDA-induced small intestinal mucosal injury. The findings were published in Digestion on June 23.

LDA is widely used to prevent cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease, but it can cause damage to the mucosal lining of the stomach and small intestine. As a result, ASAs are often prescribed alongside it

The research group had previously reported that consumption of yogurt containing the OLL2716 strain improves aspirin-induced small intestinal mucosal injury.

However, researchers believed that factors other than gastric acid, including disruptions in the gut microbiota, may also contribute to small intestinal mucosal injury.

The group therefore investigated whether consumption of the yogurt could improve gut microbiota dysbiosis. Specifically, participants taking ASAs, participants taking both ASAs and LDA, and a control group taking neither drug consumed 112ml of yogurt containing the OLL2716 strain daily for six weeks. Fecal samples were collected before and after the intervention, and the gut microbiota was analyzed.

The results showed that, before yogurt consumption, the fecal microbiota of the ASAs group and the ASAs+LDA group differed significantly from that of the control group.

In contrast, no significant differences in fecal microbiota composition were observed among the three groups after continued consumption of yogurt containing the OLL2716-containing yogurt.

These findings suggest that yogurt containing the OLL2716 strain may help restore fecal microbiota balance.

In addition, before yogurt consumption, participants taking ASAs showed higher relative abundances of Enterobacteriaceae, a family of bacteria that includes Escherichia coli, Shigella, and Salmonella and has been linked to antimicrobial resistance and intestinal infections.

Furthermore, continued consumption of yogurt containing the OLL2716 strain significantly reduced the relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae in fecal samples from the ASAs group.

Journal Information
Publication: Digestion
Title: Restoration of Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis by a Probiotic Lactobacillus paragasseri OLL2716 in Patients Being Treated with Low-Dose Aspirin and Acid-Suppressive Agents
DOI: 10.1159/000552916