Table 1.
Study characteristics
| First author | Number of participants (age range)l | Diagnostic criteria | Probiotics* | Measured outcomes included: | Length of treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guyonnet, 2007, France | 274 (20–65) |
Rome II Constipation- Predominant IBS |
Activia Danone, Combination containing Bifidobacterium. animalis DN 1730101(1.25 × 1010 cfu per pot) together with S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus 1.2 × 109 cfu per pot | Health related quality of life Bloating, abdominal pain, global digestive symptom | 6 weeks |
| Gawronska A, 2007, Poland | 37 (6–16) |
Rome II | LGG (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) 3 × 109 cfu, twice daily, | Self reported abdominal pain | 4 weeks |
| Whorwell PJ, 2006, UK | 362 (19–69) All female |
Rome II | 3 different strengths treatments Bifidobacterium (B.) infantis 35624 × 106 live bacterial cells B. infantis 35624 × 108 live bacterial cells B. infantis 35624 × 1010 live bacterial cells Once daily capsule |
Global assessment (SGA) of IBS symptoms Abdominal pain/discomfort, Bloating/distension, passage of gas |
4 weeks |
| Bausserman M, 2005, USA | 64 (6–20) |
Rome II | lactobacillus GG 1010 and Inulin was also present both in treatment and in placebo one capsule twice a day | Changes in abdominal pain severity | 6 weeks |
| Niv, 2005, Israel | 54 (19–70) |
Rome II | 1 × 108 cfu of Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730, four tablets to be taken for seven days, followed by a dose of 2 tablets per day until close of the study | abdominal pain, quality of life | 6 months |
| Kajander K, 2005, Finland | 103 (21–65) |
Rome I and Rome II |
Combination Lactobacillusrhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus rhamnosus LC 705, Bifidobacterium breve Bb 99 and Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. Shemanii JS 8–9 × 109 |
Abdominal pain, distension, flatulence, borborygmi | 6 months |
| Kim HJ, Vazquez Roque M, 2005, USA | 48 (21–75) |
Rome II | VSL # 3 mixture of bacteria combination twice daily (450 billion viable lyophilized bacteria) One packet twice a day |
Abdominal bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain | 8 weeks |
| O'Mahony L, 2005, Ireland | 80 (18–73)l |
Rome II | Either B infantis 35624 Or L. salivarIus UCC 4331 each delivered in a dose of 1 × 10 10 Once Daily |
Abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating or distension and bowel movement difficulty Quality of life assessment using an IBS specific questionnaire |
8 weeks |
| Saggioro A, 2004, Italy | Unclear (6–64) | Rome II |
Combination L. plantarum LP01 plus one strain of B. breve BR0 5 × 10 10 cfu/ml once a day Combination Strain of L. plantarum LP01 plus a strain of L. acidophilus LA02 one strain of B. breve BR0 5 × 109 cfu/ml once a day |
Pain score at different locations in RLQ and LLQ of the abdomen Overall symptom score |
4 weeks |
| Kim HJ, Camilleri M, 2003, USA | 25 (19–70) |
Rome II Diarrhea predominant symptom |
Combination VSL # 3 mixture of bacteria One packet twice a day |
abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence | 8 weeks |
| Niedzielin K, 2001, Poland | 40 (27–63) |
Manning | Lactobacillus plantarum 299V 5 × 107 CFU/ml twice a day |
improvement in pain and flatulence | 4 weeks |
| Nobaek S, 2000, Sweden | 60 (21–78) |
Rome | 400 ml/day of rose hip drink syrup containing 5 × 10 7 cfu/ml of L. plantarum DSM 9843 (strain 299V) and 0.009 g/ml oat flour | Overall GI function abdominal pain, flatulence, defecation | 4 weeks |
| O'Sullivan MA, 2000, Ireland | 24 (24–60) |
Rome | Lactobacillus GG 1 × 1010 cfu/day two tablets twice a day |
Abdominal bloating, pain, bowel frequency | 20 week |
| Gade, 1989, Denmark | 54 (16–60) |
constipation and or diarrheoa, abdominal pain, meteorism, borborygmus and flatulence | Paraghurt (freeze dried culture of Streptococcus faecium) 4 tablets morning and evening | abdominal pain, meteorism, borborygmus, flatulence | 4 weeks |
cfu: Colony Forming Unit
Combination denotes a mixture of probiotics