Kombucha, known for its probiotic properties, is prominent in the functional drinks market. However, its classification by various food rating platforms, including Nutri-Score and Nova, reveals a potential paradox. Brands may receive conflicting and contradictory ratings, causing confusion among consumers and experts alike. We conducted a statistical analysis of the global database of registered kombuchas from the OpenFoodFact app as of December 21, 2023. Our examination focused on the nutritional content and classification scales, Nutri-Score and Nova, among the 3179 kombucha brands worldwide. Examining the acquired database allows for a detailed statistical analysis of 455 kombuchas evaluated using both scales, Nutri-Score and Nova. The Cohen’s kappa concordance coefficient between the two scales yielded a kappa value of 0.0725, indicating a modest level of agreement. We observed a 53% agreement rate and a 47% disagreement rate among the scores of each. Our in-depth analysis of the 47% of disagreements identified a subgroup comprising 28% of organic or biological kombuchas with contradictory and paradoxical classifications and another subgroup of 19% of the kombuchas classified as ultra-processed products, in this case with complementary classifications rather than paradoxical. These findings underscore the necessity for introducing novel food classifications in today’s landscape, with a comprehensive evaluation framework to provide consumers with accurate and meaningful information about food.

This study aimed to assess the synbiotic effect of nutmeg flesh extract and Lactobacillus plantarum on the growth performance and serum enzyme concentrations of broiler chickens raised at high stocking density (HSD). A total of 410 broiler chickens with an average body weight of 142 ± 4.71 g were randomly divided into five treatments. Data on feed consumption, feed conversion ratio (FCR), body weight gain, and serum enzymes, e.g., aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, were collected. Body weight and weight gain were lower (P < 0.05) at CONT+ as compared with CONT–, SNP0.5, SNP1.0, and SNP1.5. The birds in SNP1.0 had higher FCR (P < 0.05) as compared with those in CONT–, CONT+, and SNP0.5 treatments. Similarly, the cumulative feed consumption was higher in SNP1.0 and SNP1.5 (P > 0.05) than in CONT–, CONT+, and SNP0.5. The levels of total serum protein, albumin, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase in broiler chickens were not affected (P > 0.05) by HSD or synbiotic administration of nutmeg flesh extract and L. plantarum. In conclusion, the use of synbiotics from nutmeg flesh extract and L. plantarum as much as 1.5 ml/kg of feed can improve the performance of broiler chicken while not interfering with enzyme serum metabolites.

Obesity has become a worldwide concern because of its rapidly increasing prevalence, which affects not only individuals but also society. Recently, the gut microbiota has been reported as a new path to obesity treatment. Probiotics have become the most recognized method to improve the gut microbiota and treat dysbiosis. This study was conducted to review the effect of oral probiotics on body mass index and gut inflammation in individuals with obesity. Systematic literature research was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases up to June 23, 2023, to identify eligible articles. The “Advanced Search” option and “All fields” were selected for the following search terms: “obese” AND “probiotic” AND “gut inflammation”. The research from the databases resulted in 136 literature sources, from which only 3 literature sources were included in this review. From the included literature, it was found that the supplementation of oral probiotics in adults, adolescents, and children had no significant effect on the BMI level. The gut inflammation biomarkers also showed a lack of significant change after probiotic consumption compared to the placebo group. Further studies are needed to review the effectiveness of the strain used in the probiotic, the difference in the exact dosage, the duration of intervention, and the side effects of oral probiotic consumption for overweight and obesity.

Microencapsulated probiotics may be an effective method of producing stable preparations that retain functional properties for nutraceutical applications. Morphology, thermal and mechanical stress resistance, storage, and release stability of bacteria in simulated gastrointestinal fluid were examined. The survival rates after different treatments were significantly higher when Lactobacillus spp. was microencapsulated, in comparison with freeze-dried cells. Notably, encapsulated samples exhibited optimal protection under gastrointestinal conditions, with survival rates of 25% at 100° C, 41% at 70% relative humidity for 20 days, and 32% after exposure to a mechanical force of 3 tons. Conversely, non-encapsulated samples failed to survive under gastrointestinal conditions following thermal, mechanical, and storage treatments. Consequently, the study highlights those key probiotic properties, such as thermal, humidity, mechanical stress, and pH tolerance, that were retained to a significant extent through microencapsulation.

The use of antibiotics and other growth-promoting agents in animal feed has been a common practice in the animal industry for many years. However, concerns about the potential risks associated with these agents have led to increased interest in alternative approaches, such as the use of probiotics. This research evaluated the potential benefits associated with the use of microencapsulated probiotics in feed salt for beef cattle compared to the commonly used ionophore antibiotic, monensin sodium. The results of the in vitro test showed that the microencapsulated probiotic treatment led to higher degradability of several dietary components, including dry matter (11% higher) and organic matter (8% higher). An in vivo test was performed on 270 animals on different farms, revealing a higher daily weight gain (115 g/day/animal) in animals fed the microencapsulated probiotics over the monensin sodium treatment. Significant differences in body weight gain among the diets were found using Monte Carlo simulation, which allows us to infer that the diets with a better feed conversion index offered a better gross margin. Overall, the use of microencapsulated probiotics in feed salt for beef cattle shows promise as a potential alternative to monensin sodium.

This study aimed to evaluate whether equol production status has an impact on the risk of locomotive syndrome in very elderly (≥85 years old) women. In this retrospective observational study, 116 very elderly women were recruited from those who lived in nursing homes for the elderly from June 2018 to November 2019. Equol production status was determined by measuring spot urine levels of equol, and risks of locomotive syndrome were evaluated by vulnerable fracture history and loco-check, a simple questionnaire comprising seven questions that can describe locomotive syndrome. Equol production (≥1 μmol/L in a spot urine sample) was found in 46 women (39.6%). Loss of equol production contributes to some lococheck items, which correlate with weakness of lower limb muscle strength (P < 0.05). In this study population, 57 women (49.1%) had previous vulnerable fractures. However, equol production status was not significantly related to the vulnerable fracture in this study population (P = 0.159). Equol production might contribute to the induction of locomotive syndrome, at least in part. However, equol deficiency as a mechanism of locomotive syndrome induction might not be the primary cause of a previous vulnerable fracture in very elderly women who live in nursing homes.

Probiotics have been shown to assist weight loss in overweight people. This study investigated the effects of a synbiotic supplement that comprised a prebiotic and a probiotic on anthropometric and biochemical measures in overweight and obese subjects. The synbiotic supplement used in this study contained Lactobacillus johnsonii No.1088, Bacillus subtilis (BS139), fermented sake lees, and green tea essence. Forty subjects with a body mass index ranging from 27 to 35 were recruited for this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. At baseline and at the end of the 12-week trial, body composition and anthropometric parameter measurements were taken, blood biochemical analyses were performed, and fecal samples of the subjects were examined for gut microbiota diversity. Our results showed the synbiotic supplementation in this study did not affect normal liver and kidney function but significantly reduced body weight, body mass index, and waist and hip circumference. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were also significantly reduced in subjects in the synbiotic supplementation group. Additionally, both fecal culture and urea breath testing showed inhibition of Helicobacter pylori infection in the subjects with synbiotic supplementation. The synbiotic supplementation in our study had promising effects in terms of weight loss, reduction of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and inhibitory activity against H. pylori bacteria.

Several objective evaluation methods are used to evaluate treatment outcomes in atopic dermatitis clinical trials. We previously demonstrated the clinical efficacy of 1-kestose, the smallest fructooligosaccharide, in the treatment of atopic dermatitis in infants using an objective evaluation method. The utility of the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure, in which patients themselves or their guardians evaluate the pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis, has recently been reported. In the present study, we used the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure to confirm the efficiency of the clinical effect of 1-kestose on pediatric atopic dermatitis. An open pilot study was conducted on 22 children with atopic dermatitis. Subjects were orally administered 2 g of 1-kestose daily for 12 weeks and the symptoms of atopic dermatitis were evaluated using the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure. The median total score of the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure was significantly decreased by the 1-kestose treatment from 14.2 to 7.7 (P < 0.001). There was no correlation between decreases in the total score of the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure and the age of subjects. Although the present study was a small pilot study, results suggest that 1-kestose may have attenuated atopic dermatitis to a degree that the patients themselves could recognize.

Intestinal barrier function, critical for maintaining optimal gut health, is achieved primarily through mucins and tight junction proteins (i.e., zonula occludens-1 and occludin). An aberrant expression of these proteins results in increased paracellular permeability, leading to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Furthermore, enhanced expression of the inflammasome’s nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 3 (cryopyrin), and Toll-like receptor 4 are also associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. To understand the role of probiotic supplementation (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, and Streptococcus thermophilus) in rats on a high-fat, high-fructose diet with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, the expression of occludin, cryopyrin, and Toll-like receptor 4 was evaluated. A comparison of the results between the control, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis group, and probiotic-treated nonalcoholic steatohepatitis groups showed (a) a lack of any significant difference in occluding expression (P = 0.724) and (b) a significant reduction in serum Toll-like receptor 4 (P = 0.012) and cryopyrin (P = 0.025) by probiotics. Furthermore, only one rat developed nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in the probiotic group, compared to six rats in the non-probiotic group. In conclusion, there were hepatoprotective effects of probiotic administration on high-fat, high-fructose diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Human immunodeficiency virus infection is associated with impairment of T helper 1, T helper 2, regulatory T, and T helper Type 17 homeostasis. While probiotics are widely known to improve these changes, understanding of their role on children’s immune system remains limited. In a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study conducted in Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya from December 2012 to March 2013, we have investigated the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum IS-10506 on the regulation of T helper and regulatory T cell in children infected with human immunodeficiency virus receiving antiretroviral therapy for at least 6 months. Twenty-one human immunodeficiency virus infected children were divided into placebo and probiotic groups and L. plantarum IS-10506 was administered at a dose of 2.86 × 1010 colony forming units/day for 6 weeks. Levels of interferon-γ, interleukin-4, transforming growth factor-β, and interleukin-17 were analyzed before and after treatment as an indicator of T-cell regulation of T helper and regulatory T cells. The results show a significant increase in transforming growth factor-β level ( p = 0.003) after administration of L. plantarum IS-10506 compared to placebo with the first-line antiretroviral therapy group. There was no reported adverse effect in this study. In conclusion, L. plantarum IS-10506 increases the regulation of regulatory T cell in human immunodeficiency virus infection in children receiving first-line antiretroviral therapy treatment.