Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a three-strain yogurt formulation in slow-transit constipation (STC) patients. Each individual in both treatment groups consumed 250 mL of the formulated yogurt daily for a week (7 days), and fecal samples were collected for gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) analyses. A significant increase in the defection frequency (p < 0.001) and bacterial diversity (p=0.027) at the 100% sequence homology level and a decrease in the concentrations of acetic acid (p=0.014), propionic acid (p=0.019), and butanoic acid (p=0.005) were observed after the STC patients consumed three-strain yogurt formulation. In addition, the consumption of the three-strain yogurt formulation significantly altered the composition of the intestinal bacteria in the STC patients. The relative abundances of 23 genera in the top dominating genera were altered significantly after the STC patients consumed the yogurt. In summary, the consumption of 250 mL day− the three-strain yogurt formulation described in this study can play a role in improving the symptoms of STC.
Highlights
Constipation is a common functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder with clinical symptoms that include difficulty or infrequency in passing feces, prolonged GI emptying times, and small, dry, and hard feces [1]. e incidence of chronic constipation in Asian populations is 2.6 to 24.8% and is especially prevalent in women and the elderly [2]
Similar results were obtained in our previous study, where the shortest time to the first defecation and a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the intestinal charcoal transit ratio was observed in the groups of mice receiving the three-strain yogurt formulation compared to the control and nonyogurt groups [15]
Patient consumption of 300 g day− 1 of probiotic or conventional yogurt for 4 weeks played a role in improving the symptoms of constipation during pregnancy [13]
Summary
Constipation is a common functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder with clinical symptoms that include difficulty or infrequency in passing feces, prolonged GI emptying times, and small, dry, and hard feces [1]. e incidence of chronic constipation in Asian populations is 2.6 to 24.8% and is especially prevalent in women and the elderly [2]. Constipation is a common functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder with clinical symptoms that include difficulty or infrequency in passing feces, prolonged GI emptying times, and small, dry, and hard feces [1]. STC is considered to be a majority category, resulting in a decreased rate of colonic transit and accounting for 30% of total the incidence of constipation [4]. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that can play a beneficial role in the host when consumed in high enough amounts, including three well-known genera of microbes, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces [7]. Probiotics can alter the colonic flora and may improve bowel functions, including with respect to the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and inflammation associated with bowel disease [8].
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