Abstract
Mild and persisting gastrointestinal symptoms (MPGS) as bloating, constipation or diarrhea are widespread in older adults and often accompanied by gut microbiota dysbiosis. Nutritional interventions help to regulate and restore microbiota and gut function. In this non-randomized continuous prospective cohort study, we evaluated the effects of a 21-day intervention using a dietary dairy-based supplement (AGIJOY™) on self-reported gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, fecal microbiota composition and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) levels in a cohort of Chinese adults (N = 46, age 27–73) suffering from MPGS. Questionnaire data and fecal samples were collected at baseline (D0), on day 7 and 21 of intervention (D7 and D21). The results showed significant improvement in the self-reported GI symptoms on D21 and a gradual shift in the fecal microbiota composition. In the first week of intervention, the relative abundance (RA) of fecal bifidobacteria significantly increased and the RA of Bacteroides and Helicobacter decreased (p < 0.05). The levels of fecal SCFA remained unchanged during the study. To our knowledge, this is the first study testing the effect of this prebiotic and postbiotic containing milk-based supplement blend on gut microbiota and MPGS among Chinese population under a real living environment.
Results
Of the 194 individuals who applied for the study, 81 were excluded based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of the remaining 113 qualified, 55 subjects started the intervention on D0. Of those 54 completed 7 days intervention and 51 completed 21 days intervention. Subjective survey data was collected by 46 participants. Fecal samples from 5 individuals were not analyzed due to the missing data points on either D7 or D21. Ten subjects were excluded from the analyses of microbiota and SCFA due to having type 2 diabetes (T2D), hyperlipidemia, or they reported medicine or microbial ecological agents (e.g. probiotics) use within the two weeks prior to the enrollment. (Source: nature.com)
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