Table 7.
Effect of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics on depression.
| Source | Subjects; Pre-/Syn-/Probiotics | Influence on Depression/Depressive Symptoms |
|---|---|---|
| [84] | MDD; C. butyricum | +(treatment response, remission) |
| [99] | D; Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria | =(BDI, BAI, DASS) |
| [114] | H; L. gasseri | +(depression, anxiety, sleep) |
| [115] | H; L. gasseri | +(HADS, fatigue, mental state) |
| [116] | H; L. gasseri | +(depressive mood, anxiety, sleep, stress) |
| [118] | C; any probiotics/supplementation | =(PHQ-9) |
| [117] | Dialysis; L. acidophilus, Bifidobacteria; fiber | +with synbiotics (HADS, BDNF)=with probiotics (HADS, BDNF) |
| [119] | MDD; galacto-oligosaccaride; L. helveticus, B. longum | =with prebiotics (BDI)+with probiotics (BDI) |
| [120] | MDD; L. plantarum | =(HDRS, PSS)+(attention, perceptivity, verbal learning) |
| [121] | D; L. helveticus, B. longum | =(MADRS, DASS) |
| [122] | H; L. rhamnosus | +(depression, anxiety) |
| [123] | IBS with anx. or depr.; B. longum | +(HADS, QoL, brain activity) |
| [124] | H; Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria | =(BDI, BAI)+(cognitive reactivity to sad mood) |
| [125] | MDD; Lactobacilli, B. bifidum | +(BDI, serum hs-CPR) |
| [126] | BD; L. acidophilus, Bifidobacteria | =(YMRS, HDRS) |
Results mostly showed positive effects, but several studies could not find significant differences. “+” symbolizes a significantly positive health effect, while “=” indicates no significant difference. In brackets a selection of the investigated measures is given. Abbreviations: MDD, major depressive disorder; BD, bipolar disorder; D, participants with depressive symptoms; H, healthy participants; C, cross-sectional study; IBS, irritable bowel syndrome; BDI, Beck depression inventory; BAI, Beck anxiety inventory; DASS, depression anxiety stress scales; HADS, hospital anxiety and depression scale; PHQ-9, patient health questionnaire; HDRS, Hamilton depression rating scale; PSS, perceived stress scale; MADRS, Montgomery-Åsberg depression rating scale; BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor; QoL, quality of life; hs-CPR, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; YMRS, young mania rating scale.