Table 2.
Intervention characteristics among included studies
| First author/Pub. Year/Country | Ingredients | Treatment schedule | Received antibioticsa | Follow-up period | |||||
| Intervention | Placebo | Begin | End | Duration | Regimen | ||||
| 1 | Polakowski et al., 2019, Brazil (15) | 6 g fructooligosaccharide + Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001, Lactobacillus casei LPC-37, Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 | Maltodextrin | 7 days before surgery | 1 day before surgery | 7 days | 2× day | Excluded if used in 30 days before trial; | Up to 30 day PO |
| 2 | Golkhalkhali et al., 2018, Malaysia (16) | L. acidophilus, L. casei, Lactobacillus lactis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium infantis | Inactive placebo preparation + omega 3 | During chemotherapy, 4 weeks after surgery | NA | 4 wk | 1× day | NA | 6 mo |
| 3 | Flesch et al., 2017, Brazil (17) | L. acidophilus, L. rhamnosus, Lactobacillus paracasei, Bifidobacterium lactis, and fructooligosaccharides | Maltodextrin | 5 days before surgery | 14 days after surgery | 2× day | NA | 30 days PO | |
| 4 | Theodoropoulos et al., 2016, Greece (18) | LAB: Pediococcus pentosaccus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, L. paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum + fermentable fibers | Fermentable fibers | 2–4 days after surgery | NA | 15 days | 1× day | Both groups received cephalosporin and metronidazole first dose preoperatively and additional doses until the end of the first POD | 6 mo |
| 5 | Yang et al., 2016, China (19) | B. longum, L. acidophilus, and Enterococcus faecalis | Maltodextrin and sucrose | 5 days before surgery | 7 days after surgery | 12 days | NA | Excluded if used before trial; all patients received cefoxitin 30 minutes before surgery; continued after surgery as necessary | — |
| 6 | Tan et al., 2016, Malaysia (20) | B. longum, L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. lactis, B. bifidum, and B. infantis | NA | 7 days before surgery | 7 days | 2× day | Prophylactic use of antibiotics before gastrointestinal surgery | 30 days | |
| 7 | Kotzampassi et al., 2015, Greece (21) | L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. lactis, and Saccharromyces boulardii | Glucose polymer | 1 day before surgery | 14 days after surgery | 16 days | NA | NA | — |
| 8 | Mego et al., 2015, Slovakia (22) | Bifidobacterium breve, B. bifidum, B. longum, L. acidophilus, L. rhamnosus, L. casei, L. plantarum, Streptococcus thermopilus, Lactobacillus brevis, B. infantis + inulin, maltodextrine, magnesium stearate, and ascorbic acid | Inactive ingredients | NA | NA | 12 wk | 3× day | Excluded if used before trial; No patients received antibiotics during the study | — |
| 9 | Liu et al. 2015, China (23) | L. plantarum, L. acidophilus and B. longum | Maltodextrin | 6 days before surgery | 10 days after surgery | 16 days | 1× day | Excluded if used in 10 days before surgery; | 30 days |
| 10 | Lee et al., 2014, South Korea (24) | L. rhamnosus, L. acidophilus + maltodextrin, magnesium citrate, and ascorbic acid | Maltodextrin, magnesium citrate, and ascorbic acid | 6 weeks to 2 years after end of CRC treatment | 12 wk | NA | Excluded if used before trial; | 12 wk | |
| 11 | Liu et al., 2013, China (25) | L. plantarum, L. acidophilus, and B. longum | Maltodextrin | 6 days before surgery | 10 days after surgery | 16 days | 1× day | Excluded if used in 10 days before surgery; | 4 wk |
| 12 | Krebs 2013, Slovenia (26) | Lactobacilli: Pediococcus pentosaceus, L. mesenteroides, L. paracasei, L. plantarum + bioactive plant fibers | Bioactive plant fibers | 3 days before surgery | 1 day before surgery | 3 days | 2× day | NA | 6 d |
| 13 | Mangell et al., 2012, Sweden (27) | L. plantarum + oatmeal drink | Oatmeal drink | 8 days before surgery | 5 days from 1 day after surgery | — | 100 mL | At the induction of anesthesia, patients were given intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis (cefuroxime and metronidazole) | 6 mo |
| 14 | Zhang et al., 2012, China (28) | B. longum, L. acidophilus, and E. faecalis | Maltodextrin | 5 days before surgery | 3 days before surgery | 3 days | 3× day | Bowel preparation included gentamicin and metronidazole. During operation, IV of cefuroxime sodium. PO prophylactic IV cefuroxime sodium and metronidazole for 3–5 days | — |
| 15 | Stephens and Hewett, 2012, Australia (29) | Corn starch + Streptococcus thermophilus, B. breve, B. longum, B. infantis, L. acidophilus, L. casei, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and L. plantarum | Corn starch | — | After surgery | 4 wk | 2× day | NA | 4 wk |
| 16 | Horvat et al., 2010, Slovenia (30) | P. pentosaceus, L. mesenteroides, L. paracasei, and L. plantarum | Heat-inactivated lactobacilli | 3 days before surgery | 3 days | 2× day | All patients in the study received concomitant preventive antibiotics as needed | 72 hours | |
CRC, colorectal cancer; LAB, lactic acid bacteria; NA, no information available/not applicable; PO, postoperation; Pub, publication.
a
Participants received antibiotics as part of routine treatment.