Table 1.
Recent studies on the effect of probiotics/prebiotics/synbiotics on body weight and gut microbiota in obese humans.
| Obesity | Dose | Model | Treatment length | Changes in the gut microbiota | Bodyweight | Other physiological and metabolic changes | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Probiotics | |||||||
| (a) Lactobacillus amylovorus or (b) Lactobacillus fermentum in yogurt | (a) 1.39 × 109 CFU, (b) 1.08 × 109 CFU daily | Overweight adults | 3 × 43-day phases, each separated by a 6-week washout | (a) ↓Clostridial cluster IV, ↑ Lactobacillus (b) ↑ Lactobacillus |
= | (a) ↓↓ body fat mass (b) ↓ body fat mass |
[268] |
| VSL#3 (Bifidobacterium longum, B. Infantis, B. breve) | 112.5 × 109 CFU/capsule each strain | Overweight adults | 6 weeks | ↑ Lactobacillus, ↑ Bifidobacterium, ↑ Bacteroides, ↑ Streptococcus | Not reported | ↓ total cholesterol, ↓ LDL, ↓ TAG, ↓ VLDL, ↓ CRP, ↑ insulin sensitivity, ↑ HDL | [269] |
| VSL#3 (Streptococcus thermophilus DSM24731, L. acidophilus DSM24735, L. delbrueckii ssp. Bulgaricus DSM24734, L. paracasei DSM24733, L. plantarum DSM24730, B. longum DSM24736, B. infantis DSM24737, B. breve DSM24732) | 450 billion CFU/sachet | Healthy young adults that consumed HFD (55% fat) | 4 weeks | ↑ L. acidophilus, ↑ S. thermophilus | ↓ body mass (2.47%) | ↓ fat mass gain, = insulin sensitivity and fat oxidation | [270] |
| L. paracasei F19 | 9.4 × 109 CFU/sachet daily | Obese postmenopausal women | 6 weeks | ↑ Eubacterium rectale, ↑ Ruminococcus torques | = | = CRP,= insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance | [271] |
| L. reuteri DSM 17938 | 108 or 1010 CFU daily | Overweight or obese adults with T2D | 12 weeks | = Increased microbiota diversity at baseline predicted probiotic response |
= | ↑ insulin sensitivity, ↑ serum deoxycholic acid | [272] |
| (a) B. adolescentis IVS-1 and (b) B. animalis subsp. Lactis BB-12 | 1 × 109 CFU daily each | Obese adults | 3 weeks | (a) ↑ Bifidobacterium, ↑ B. adolescentis (b)= |
= | (a) ↓ intestinal permeability during aspirin intake (b)= |
[273] |
| B animalis subsp. Lactis 420™ (B420) | 1010 CFU daily | Overweight/obese human adults | 6 months | ↑ Lactobacillus, ↑ Akkermansia |
Trend to ↓ (∼1.5%) [274] | =SCFAs or other faecal metabolites. ↓ inflammatory markers, ↓ zonulin (intestinal permeability), ↓ CRP, ↓ body fat mass, ↓ waist circumference [274] | [275] |
| B. animalis subsp. Lactis CECT 8145 | 1010 CFU daily | Obese adults | 3 months | ↑ Akkermansia | ↓ BMI (- 0.349 kg/m2) | ↓ waist circumference, ↓ visceral fat, ↓ conicity index, ↓ diastolic blood pressure, ↓ HOMA-IR index | [276] |
| B. pseudocatenulatum CECT 7765 | 109−10 CFU daily | Obese children | 13 weeks | ↓ Rikenellaceae, ↑ Alistipes | ↓ BMI (−0.38 kg/m2) | ↓ CRP, ↓ MPC-1 (inflammation), ↑ HDL, ↑ omentin-1 | [277] |
| Akkermansia muciniphila alive (a) or pasteurized (p) | 1010 CFU daily | Overweight/obese insulin-resistant adults | 3 months | = | (p) ↓ (1.88%) (a)= |
(p) ↑ insulin sensitivity, ↓ hyperinsulinemia, ↓ plasma total cholesterol, ↓ fat mass, ↓ hip circumference (a) ↓ blood markers of liver dysfunctions and inflammation |
[146] |
| L. acidophilus, B. lactis, B. bifidum, B. longum | 1.5 × 1010 CFU each | Overweight or obese people with prediabetes | 6 months | ↑ Bacillus fragilis/E. coli ratio ↓ F/B ration |
Not reported | =food intake | [278] |
| B. longum APC1472 | 1 × 1010 CFU capsule daily | Overweight/obese human adults | 12 weeks | ↑ Bifidobacterium | = | ↑ fasting glucose levels, ↓ ghrelin, ↓ cortisol awakening response levels | [279] |
| L. plantarum Dad-13 | 2 × 109 CFU/g/sachet | Overweight human adults | 90 days | ↓ Coprococcus, ↑ Bacteroides L. plantarum Dad-13 Compared to baseline |
↓ (1.64%) BMI ↓ (- 0.53 kg/m2) |
=SCFAs and lipid profile | [280] |
| Prebiotics | |||||||
| Inulin + oligofructose | 8 g/day + 8 g/day | Obese adult women | 3 months | ↑Bifidobacterium, ↑Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, ↓Bacteroides intestinalis, ↓Bacteroides vulgatus, ↓Propionibacterium | = | A slight reduction in % fat mass | [281] |
| Bi2muno (mixture of trans- galactooligosaccharides) | 5.5 g/day | Overweight adults | 3 months | ↑Bifidobacterium, ↓Bacteroides, ↓C. hystolicum ↓Desulfovibrio |
= | ↓ faecal calprotectin and secretory IgA, ↓ total cholesterol, ↓ insulin, ↓ CRP, ↓ TAG | [282] |
| Inulin + β-glucan + blueberry anthocyanins + blueberry polyphenols | 3.79 g/day + 2.03 g/day + 162.53 mg/day + 723.99 mg/day | Overweight or obese adults | 1 month | = | ↓ fasting glucose and PYY levels, ↓ reported desire to eat and prospective intake, ↑ fasting plasma ghrelin levels, ↑ faecal SCFA content | [283] | |
| Inulin, sodium butyrate, Inulin + sodium butyrate | 10 g/day, 600 mg/day, 10 g/day + 600 mg/day | Overweight or obese adults with T2D | 45 days | ↑Akkermansia muciniphila in groups supplemented with inulin or sodium butyrate alone | = | ↓ CRP and malondialdehyde serum levels, ↓ diastolic blood pressure in all supplemented groups | [284] |
| Litesse Ultra polydextrose | 12 g/day | Overweight or obese adults | 6 months | ↑ Christensenellaceae | Not reported | = | [275] |
| Arabinoxylan | Female: 25 g/day Male: 35 g/day |
Overweight or obese adults | 6 weeks | ↓ alpha-diversity ↑ Bifidobacterium, ↑ Blautia. ↓ Parasutterella, ↓ Ruminococcus, ↓ Clostridium XVIII, ↓ Lachnospiraceae incertae sedis |
Not reported | Not reported | [285] |
| Synbiotics | |||||||
| B. lactis Bb12 + oligofructose | 2010 CFU + 16 g/day | Obese adults | 6 weeks | ↑ Bifidobacterium | = | = | [286] |
| B. adolescentis IVS-1 + galactooligosaccharide | 109 CFU + 5 g/day | Obese adults | 3 weeks | ↑ Bifidobacterium, ↑ B. adolescentis | = | = | [273] |
| B. animalis subsp. Lactis BB-12 + galactooligosaccharide | 109 CFU + 5 g/day | Overweight or obese adults | 6 months | ↑ Bifidobacterium, UP B. animalis subsp. Lactis BB-12 | = | = | [273] |
| Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis 420 + Litesse Ultra polydextrose | 1010 CFU + 12 g/day | Overweight or obese adults | 3 weeks | ↑Akkermansia, ↑ Christensenellaceae, ↑ Methanobrevibacter, ↓ Paraprevotella |
Not reported | ↓ bile acids glycholic acid, glycoursodeoxycholic acid, taurohyodeoxycholic acid, tauroursodeoxycholic acid | [275] |
| Bacillus coagulans BC30, 6086 + β-glucans | 5 × 108 CFU + 13 g/day | Overweight and obese adults | 3 months | ↑Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, ↓ Bifidobacterium spp. | = | ↑ plasma gamma-glutamyltransferase, ↓ plasma CRP, resistin and LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio | [287] |
| Omnibiotic Hetox: B. bifidum W23, B. lactis W51, B. lactis W52, L. acidophilus W37, L. casei W56, L. brevis W63, L. salivarius W24, Lc. Lactis W58 and Lc. Lactis W19 + Omnilogic Plus: GOS P11, FOS P6, konjac glucomannan P13 (E425), calcium carbonate (E170), zinc citrate 3-hydrate, vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and vitamin B2 (riboflavin) (E101) and a matrix containing maltodextrin, natural elderflower flavouring and Gum Arabic (E414) |
1.5 × 1010 CFU total + 8 g/day | Obese adults with T2D | 6 months | = | = | ↓ hip circumference, ↓ zonulin, ↑ QoL (physical functioning), = glucose metabolism | [288] |
| L. acidophilus, B. lactis, B. longum, B. bifidum + GOS | 15 × 109 CFU + 5.5 g/day |
Overweight/obese humans that underwent weight loss program | 3 months | ↑richness, ↑Bifidobacterium, ↑Lactobacillus, ↓Prevotella, ↓Gardnerella | = | = | [289] |
| L. acidophilus, B. lactis, B. bifidum, B. longum + inulin | 1.5 × 1010 CFU each +6 g/day | Overweight or obese people with prediabetes | 6 months | = | Not reported | =food intake | [278] |
| 2 Bifidobaterium +5 Lactobacillus strains + FOS + inulin | 1 × 109/g (total) + 9.6 g + 110.4 g | Overweight/obese humans | 3 months | ↑Lactobacillus, ↑E. coli, ↑Enterococcus | = | Not measured | [290] |
| L. casei, L. paracasei, B. breve + GOS | 3 × 108 CFU each + 7.5 g daily | Obese humans with T2D | 24 weeks | ↑Bifidobacterium, ↑Lactobacillus, ↑B. adolescentis, ↑B. pseudocatenulatum | = | ↑ acetic and butyric acids in faeces | [291] |
This table summarises recent studies, examining the unique effect of microbiota modifications on body weight and gut microbiota composition in people with overweight or obesity. Studies that involved concomitant dietary interventions or do not report gut microbiota changes are excluded. Abbreviations: CFU; colony-forming unit, LDL; low-density lipoprotein, TAG; triacylglycerol, VLDL; very-low-density lipoprotein, CRP; C-reactive protein, HDL; high-density lipoprotein, HFD; high-fat diet, T2D; type-2 diabetes, SCFAs; short-chain fatty acids, HOMA-IR; homeostatic model assessment of Insulin Resistance, MCP-1; macrophages chemoattractant protein 1, BMI; body mass index, IgA antibody; immunoglobulin A, PYY; peptide YY, QoL; quality of life.