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Effect of multispecies probiotics on irritable bowel syndrome: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial
Author(s) -
Yoon Jun Sik,
Sohn Won,
Lee Oh Young,
Lee Sang Pyo,
Lee Kang Nyeong,
Jun Dae Won,
Lee Hang Lak,
Yoon Byung Chul,
Choi Ho Soon,
Chung WonSeok,
Seo JaeGu
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/jgh.12322
Subject(s) - medicine , placebo , bloating , irritable bowel syndrome , gastroenterology , placebo controlled study , abdominal pain , bifidobacterium bifidum , probiotic , randomized controlled trial , lactobacillus rhamnosus , feces , lactobacillus acidophilus , double blind , pathology , microbiology and biotechnology , alternative medicine , biology , bacteria , genetics
Background and Aim The efficacy of treatment with multispecies probiotics on irritable bowel syndrome ( IBS ) symptoms and the alterations of gut microbiota in patients who have taken probiotics were investigated. Methods This randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial involved 49 IBS patients (probiotics: 25, placebo: 24) diagnosed according to the R ome III criteria. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: either to receive multispecies probiotics (a mixture of B ifidobacterium longum , B . bifidum , B . lactis , L actobacillus acidophilus , L . rhamnosus , and S treptococcus thermophilus ) twice a day for 4 weeks or to receive a placebo twice a day for 4 weeks. The primary efficacy end‐point was the proportion of participants whose IBS symptoms were substantially relieved at week 4. Secondary end‐points were the intensity of abdominal pain/discomfort, bloating, stool frequency/consistency, alterations in fecal microflora over the 4 weeks. Fecal microflora were analyzed in 34 patients (probiotics: 17, placebo: 17) by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction assays. Results The proportion of patients whose IBS symptoms were substantially relieved at week 4 was significantly higher in the probiotics group than in the placebo group: 68.0% (17/25) versus 37.5% (9/24) ( P < 0.05). Secondary end‐points such as improvement in abdominal pain/discomfort and bloating occurred in the probiotics group but not in the placebo group. Fecal analysis revealed that B . lactis , L . rhamnosus , and S . thermophilus had increased significantly in the probiotics group after 4 weeks and that B . lactis had increased in the placebo group. Conclusions Multispecies probiotics are effective in IBS patients and induce the alterations in the composition of intestinal microbiota.