Gut microbiota, probiotics, prebiotics and bone health: a review

Abstract

Gut microbiota is widely accepted to play a crucial role to host health via the regulation of many physiological functions, including metabolism, nutrition, pathogen resistance, and immune function. Over the last decades, accumulating evidence has also pinpointed a role for gut microbiota on bone metabolism and the development of metabolic bone diseases, such as osteoporosis. Emerging evidence suggests the potential of gut microbiota as a promising target for bone health management. In this contribution, we have examined the available literature to understand the role of gut microbiota on bone metabolism as well as the underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, the application and effectiveness of using probiotics/prebiotics as means to modify gut microbiota and bone health are discussed. In this relation, animal studies and human trails suggest that alternation of gut microbiota composition can exert the activity of bone metabolism and therefore lead to the change of bone quality. It is believed that gut microbiota regulates bone metabolism via host immune system, endocrine system and mineral absorption. Supplementation with probiotics and prebiotics to both animals and humans has demonstrated promising, but sometimes conflicting results, on bone health. Thus, future research is expected to reveal the influence of the variations in age, gender, dose, delivery method, and treatment duration, among others on the probiotics/prebiotics-targeted bone diseases treatment.