Table 1.

Summary of major rodent studies investigating the protective effect of probiotics against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis.

Probiotic strain	Probiotic dose	Probiotic treatment duration	Time of probiotic application	Main observations	Reference
Akkermansia muciniphila MucT	3 × 109 CFU/d	14 d	7 d before induction of colitis	Reduced weight loss, colon length shortening and histopathology scores; enhanced gut barrier function Reduced serum and tissue levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines Alleviated gut dysbiosis and reshaped the gut microbiota community	Bain et al.19
Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei NTU 101	2.3 × 109 or 4.5 × 109 CFU/kg BW/d	25 d	14 d before induction of colitis	Improved antioxidant capacity, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, increased anti-inflammatory cytokine levels, and slightly ameliorated body weight loss	Chen et al.20
Lactobacillus plantarum AR326	2 × 109 CFU/d	7 d	6 d after induction of colitis	Reduced body weight loss, disease activity index (DAI), colon length shortening, myeloperoxidase activity and histological damage Restored the tight junction protein expression and reduced the abnormal expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines	Wang et al.21
Bifidobacterium bifidum ATCC 29521	2 × 108 CFU/d	27 d	21 d before induction of colitis	Regulated the expression of immune markers and tight junction proteins in the colon Ameliorated expression of selected miRNA, including miR-150, miR-155, and miR-223 Restored healthier gut microbiota from a gut dysbiosis	Din et al.22
Lactobacillus plantarum L15	1 × 109 or 1 × 1010 CFU/mL (1 mL/100 g BW)	28 d	7 d after induction of colitis	Increased the body weight, colon length and anti-inflammatory cytokine production Decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine production, DAI levels, and myeloperoxidase parameters Alleviated colonic histopathological changes, modulated the gut microbiota, and decreased lipopolysaccharide secretion Suppressed Toll-like receptor 4-nuclear factor-κB (TLR4-NF-κB) signaling pathway activation	Yu et al.23
Lactobacillus fermentum ZS40	1 × 109 CFU/kg BW/d	35 d	21 d before induction of colitis	Reduced histopathology scores, myeloperoxidase and malondialdehyde levels Increased total superoxide dismutase and catalase in mouse serum Regulated the balance of pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines Inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways	Chen et al.24
Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393	2 × 109 CFU/d	14 d	14 d before induction of colitis	Reduced body weight loss, DAI, colon length shortening, and villus height of colon tissue Inhibited the infiltration of immune cells into the intestinal mucosa, decreased the production of pro-inflammatory factors, and increased serum and colon tissue expression of anti-inflammatory factors Increased the expression levels of occludin, ZO-1, and claudin-1, while reduced the expression of nucleotide binding oligomeric domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), cysteine proteinase-1 (caspase-1), interleukin (IL)−1β, and IL-18 Improved DSS-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis	Dou et al.25
Saccharomyces boulardii	1 × 105 or 1 × 107 CFU/d	21 d	21 d before induction of colitis	Reduced DAI, colon length shortening, and loss of histological structure Protected the intestinal barrier, suppressed colonic inflammation, restored myeloperoxidase activity, mitigated colonic oxidative damage Suppressed the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 subunit, promoted the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)	Gao et al.26
Bifidobacterium Infantis CGMCC0460.1	1.5 × 109 CFU/d	14 d	7 d before induction of colitis	Promoted the recovery of intestinal injury and modulated the gut microbiota composition Maintained genome stability partially by upregulating the expression of anaphase-promoting complex subunit 7 (APC7)	Han et al.27
Akkermansia muciniphila ATCC BAA-835	1 × 109 CFU/d	7 d	7 d before induction of colitis	Decreased body weight loss, colon length shortening, and colon histological inflammatory score Enhanced the number of goblet cells and the mucin family Downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), IL-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP−1)	Qu et al.28
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DMDL 9010	1 × 107 or 1 × 109 CFU/mL (0.2 mL/10 g BW)	7 d	At the same time	Reduced the inflammatory response, repaired intestinal barrier damage, and lightened depression-like behavior Inhibited neuroinflammation by upregulating the levels of neurotransmitters, especially 5-hydroxytryptamine, norepinephrine, dopamine, and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid Reorganized the gut microbiome and increased the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)	Huang et al.29
Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356	1 × 108 CFU/d	8 d	At the same time	Decreased DAI scores, improved colon shortening, and protected against splenomegaly and thymic atrophy Increased the contents of SCFAs, inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome and facilitated autophagy	Li et al.30
Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI II 588	1 × 108 CFU/d	21 d	21 d before induction of colitis	Prevented body weight loss, reduced DAI/colon histology scores and colon length shortening, and improved gut barrier function Reduced pathogenic bacteria and increased beneficial bacteria	Ma et al.31
Companilactobacillus crustorum MN047	1 × 109 CFU/d	24 d	14 d before induction of colitis	Attenuated the increased DAI, shortened colon length, gut barrier damage, and inflammation Upregulated the expressions of MUCs and tight junctions, downregulated the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, increased fecal SCFAs, and lowered serum lipopolysaccharides Regulated gut microbiota (e.g., increased Akkermansia, Blautia, and Ruminococcus levels)	Wang et al.32