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Tolerance and Efficacy of a Probiotic Supplement Delivered in Capsule Form
Author(s) -
Labellarte Gina,
Cooper Scott,
Maher Margaret
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.924.33
Subject(s) - probiotic , placebo , feces , medicine , diarrhea , gastroenterology , capsule , constipation , bacillus subtilis , physiology , food science , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , genetics , alternative medicine , botany , pathology
Probiotic supplementation may promote a healthy microbiome, alleviate diarrhea and constipation, and improve some metabolic parameters. Bacillus subtilis , used in fermentation of some foods, may also be tolerated and effective in a concentrated supplement form. Forty healthy male and female adults (23 ± 3.9 years of age) were randomly assigned, in a double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial, to probiotic (approximately 1.9 x 10 9 CFU/capsule) or placebo groups for an average of 20 days. Subjects were instructed to maintain their usual diet and activity levels over the course of the study. Fecal and fasted serum samples were collected before and after capsule consumption. Dietary and daily bowel movement (BM) frequency and consistency records were reported by subjects. Fecal DNA was subject to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real‐time PCR (qPCR) for microbial detection and quantification. Metabolic, lipid, and C reactive protein levels remained within normal ranges from pre‐ to post‐ capsule consumption, however serum glucose was significantly reduced in the probiotic group (91.0 to 85.9 mg/dL, α 蠄 0.05; P = 0.012). A significant increase in average number of BMs reported per day was seen in the placebo group (α 蠄 0.05; P = 0.015). No significant differences in fecal microbe content were seen in qPCR analysis, though some trends were indicated with qPCR and fecal plate count analyses. Daily consumption of B. subtilis was well tolerated and may be effective as a supplement for those with glucose intolerance and diabetes, and promote regularity of bowel movements. Limitations of the study included lack of dietary and alcohol intake control and an inadequate number of fecal subsamples for follow‐up analyses. This study was funded by Deerland Enzymes Inc.