Efficacy of a Probiotic Consisting of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus PDV 1705, Bifidobacterium bifidum PDV 0903, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis PDV 1911, and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum PDV 2301 in the Treatment of Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

The treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and COVID-19-associated diarrhea remains challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a multi-strain probiotic in the treatment of COVID-19. This was a randomized, controlled, single-center, open-label trial (NCT04854941). Inpatients with confirmed COVID-19 and pneumonia were randomly assigned to a group that received a multi-strain probiotic (PRO group) or to the control group (CON group). There were 99 and 101 patients in the PRO and CON groups, respectively. No significant differences in mortality, total duration of disease and hospital stay, incidence of intensive care unit admission, need for mechanical ventilation or oxygen support, liver injury development, and changes in inflammatory biomarker levels were observed between the PRO and CON groups among all included patients as well as among subgroups delineated based on age younger or older than 65 years, and subgroups with chronic cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Diarrhea on admission was observed in 11.5% of patients; it resolved earlier in the PRO group than in the CON group (2 [1-4] vs. 4 [3-6] days; p = 0.049). Hospital-acquired diarrhea developed less frequently in the PRO group than in the CON group among patients who received a single antibiotic (0% vs. 12.5%; p = 0.023) unlike among those who received > 1 antibiotic (10.5% vs. 13.3%; p = 0.696). The studied probiotic had no significant effect on mortality and changes in most biomarkers in COVID-19. However, it was effective in treating diarrhea associated with COVID-19 and in preventing hospital-acquired diarrhea in patients who received a single antibiotic.

Efficacy and safety of a food supplement with standardized menthol, limonene, and gingerol content in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects 9,2% of the global population and places a considerable burden on healthcare systems. Most medications for treating IBS, including spasmolytics, laxatives, and antidiarrheals, have low efficacy. Effective and safe therapeutic treatments have yet to be developed for IBS. PURPOSE: This study assessed the efficacy and safety of a food supplement containing standardized menthol, limonene, and gingerol in human participants with IBS or IBS/functional dyspepsia (FD). DESIGN: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. METHODS: We randomly assigned 56 patients with IBS or IBS/FD to an intervention group (Group 1) or control group (Group 2) that were given supplement or placebo, respectively, in addition to the standard treatment regimen for 30 d. Three outpatient visits were conducted during the study. Symptom severity was measured at each visit using a 7×7 questionnaire. Qualitative and quantitative composition of the intestinal microbiota were assessed at visits 1 and 3 based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. RESULTS: At visit 1 (before treatment), the median total 7×7 questionnaire score was in the moderately ill range for both groups, with no difference between the groups (p = 0.1). At visit 2, the total 7×7 score decreased to mildly ill, with no difference between the groups (p = 0.4). At visit 3, the total score for group 1 indicated borderline illness and for group 2 remained indicated mild illness (p = 0.009). Even though we observed some variations in gut microbiota between the groups, we did not find any statistically significant changes. CONCLUSION: The food supplement with standardized menthol, limonene, and gingerol content increased the efficacy of standard therapy in IBS and FD patients. The use of the supplement did not cause any obvious side effects. REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04484467.

The Evolution of Human Probiotics: Challenges and Prospects.

In recent years, the intestinal microbiota has been found to greatly influence a number of biological processes important for human health and longevity. Microbial composition changes easily in response to external factors, such as an unbalanced diet, lack of physical activity, and smoking. Probiotics are a key factor in maintaining the optimal composition of the intestinal microbiota. However, a number of important questions related to probiotics, such as indication for prescription, comparative efficacy of monostrain and multistrain probiotics, methods of delivery, and shelf life, remain unresolved. The aim of this review is to highlight existing issues regarding probiotic production and their prescription. The review presents the most recent findings regarding advantages and efficacy of monostrain and multistrain probiotics, preservation of probiotic strains in capsules and microcapsules, production of probiotics in the form of biofilms for improved efficacy and survival, and results of clinical studies evaluating the benefits of probiotics against different pathologies. We believe that this work will be of interest to physicians and researchers alike and will promote the development of new probiotics and ensuing regimens aimed at the treatment of various diseases.

Tetra-methyl-ammonium dimethyl (phenyl-sulfonyl-amido)phosphate(1-).

The title compound, C(4)H(12)N(+)·C(8)H(11)NO(5)PS(-), was obtained from tetra-methyl-ammonium hydroxide and dimeth-yl(phenyl-sulfon-yl)amido-phosphate. The tetra-methyl-ammonium cation has a slightly distorted tetra-hedral configuration and the N-C bond lengths lie in the range 1.457 (3)-1.492 (3) Å. In the crystal, no classical hydrogen bonds are observed between the cation and the anion.

cis-Diaqua-bis-[dimethyl (phenyl-sulfonyl-imino)-phospho-nato]cobalt(II).

In the title diaqua-cobalt complex, [Co(C(8)H(11)NO(5)PS)(2)(H(2)O)(2)], the Co(II) atom is surrounded by six O atoms belonging to the phosphoryl and sulfonyl groups of two deprotonated chelate ligands and two additional O atoms from water mol-ecules which are in cis positions with respect to one another. The coordination environment of cobalt can be described as a distorted octa-hedron. O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the water and sulfonyl O atoms of neighboring mol-ecules form chains running parallel to [010]. Two methoxy groups attached to one phosphorus are disordered over two sets of sites in a 0.6:0.4 ratio.

N-[Bis(dimethyl-amino)phosphinoyl]-2,2,2-trichloro-acetamide.

In the title compound, C(6)H(13)Cl(3)N(3)O(2)P or CCl(3)C(O)NHP(O)(N(CH(3))(2)), the phosphinoyl group is synclinal to the carbonyl group and acts as an acceptor for an inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bond from the amide group as the donor.

catena-Poly[calcium-bis-[µ-N-(dimethyl-phosphino-yl)benzene-sulfonamidato]].

The crystal structure of the title calcium complex, [Ca(C(8)H(11)NO(5)PS)(2)](n), is composed of a polymeric chain, which is formed due to two bridging sulfonyl groups linking Ca(II) ions in a O-S-O-Ca manner. Thus, the coordination environment of the Ca(II) ions is composed of six O atoms belonging to the phosphoryl and sulfonyl groups of two chelate rings and two additional O atoms of two bridging sulfonyl groups. The coordination polyhedron of the central atom (2 symmetry) has a distorted octa-hedral geometry.