Table 3.
An overview of clinical trials investigating the impact of B. longum on elderly.
| Condition/Disease/Biological Parameter | Participants; Age | Formulation | CFU; Dose; Duration | Clinical Effects and Biological Observations of Intervention Group Compared with Placebo Group | Reference; Trial ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gastrointestinal Conditions | |||||
| Regularity of bowel movements in elderly nursing home residents | 209; Elderly | B. longum 46, B. longum 2c | 1 x 109; daily; 7 months | Significantly increased bowel movements without causing diarrhoea | Pitkala et al.230 |
| Defecation frequency in elderly patients receiving enteral feeding | Trial 1–83; Elderly Trial 2–123; Elderly |
B. longum BB536 | T1: 5 x 1010; daily; 16 weeks T2: 5 x 1010 or 2.5 x 1010; 16 weeks |
Significantly normalised defecation frequency in subjects with low & high frequency defecation | Kondo et al.231 |
| Immunity | |||||
| Faecal microbiota & Immune parameters | 55; > 84.3 ± 0.98 y |
B. longum 46, B. longum 2c |
1 x 109, daily; 7 months | Increased B. adolescentis & B. catenulatum No significant impact on immune parameters |
Ouwehand et al.232 |
| Faecal microbiota & Immune parameters | 45; ≥ 65 y receiving enteral tube feeding | B. longum BB536 | 5 x 1010; twice daily, 12 weeks; | Numerical increased IgA Maintained NK cell activity |
Akatsu et al.233 |
| Faecal microbiota & function, & Immune parameters | 43; 65–90 y |
B. longum Synergy 1 prebiotic (FOS & inulin) |
2 x 1011, 6 g; twice daily, 4 weeks; | Beneficially modulated the gut microbiota; Increased butyrate production; Significantly reduced TNF-α |
Macfarlane et al.234
NCT01226212 |
| Faecal microbiota & Immune parameters | 32; 70 ± 1 y |
B. longum MM2, B. bifidum G9–1, L. gasseri KS-13 |
3 x 109, daily; 3 weeks | Maintained CD4+ lymphocytes; Significantly increased IL-10; Significantly increased bifidobacteria, lactic acid bacteria, decreased E. coli |
Spaiser et al.235 NCT01662206 |
| Physiological status & Immune parameters | 98; 84 ± 7.8 y |
B. longum Bar33, L. helveticus Bar13 |
1 x 109, daily; 30 d | Significantly increased naïve, activated memory, regulatory T cells, B cells, & NK cells & decreased memory T cells | Finamore et al.236 |
| Mood and Cognition | |||||
| Healthy elderly/Cognitive function, Body composition, & Bowel habits | 38; 66–78 y |
B. longum ssp. longum BB536, B. longum ssp. infantis M-63, B. breve M-16V B. breve B-3 & resistance training |
1.25 x 1010 1.25 x 1010 1.25 x 1010 1.25 x 1010 daily; 12 weeks |
Improved cognitive functioning; Significantly decreased depression-anxiety scores; Significantly improved body mass index scores; Significantly increased frequency of defecation |
Inoue et al.237 UMIN000021749 |
| Healthy elderly/Cognition, Mood, & Intestinal health | 63; ≥ 65 y |
B. longum BORI, B. bifidum BGN4 |
1 x 109 daily; 12 weeks |
Significantly reduced inflammation-associated gut bacteria; Significantly increased serum levels of BDNF; Significantly improved mental attention & executive function; Significantly reduced stress |
Kim et al.238 KCT0003929 |