A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CJLP243 in Patients with Functional Diarrhea and High Fecal Calprotectin Levels.

Micro-inflammation in the gut, assessed by fecal calprotectin (FC), is considered a component of the pathogenesis of functional diarrhea (FD). Since probiotics may suppress micro-inflammation in the intestine by competing with harmful bacteria, we hypothesized that they would reduce the ratio of loose stool symptoms and gut inflammation in patients with FD. We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the clinical and laboratory effects of Lactobacillus plantarum CJLP243 in FD patients with elevated FC levels for two months. Twenty-four patients diagnosed with FD with elevated FC levels were randomly assigned to either a probiotic group or a placebo group. After 2 months, 10 patients in the probiotic group and 12 patients in the placebo group completed the study, and FD symptoms, FC values, and intestinal flora were re-evaluated in these subjects. The percentage of subjects who had adequate FD relief (decrease in loose stool frequency) in the probiotic group was significantly increased after two months compared with the baseline. In addition, the probiotic group showed a statistically significant decrease in log-transformed FC values compared with the pre-treatment group, whereas the placebo group showed no difference before and after the intervention. Furthermore, the levels of Leuconostoc genus organisms in the gut microbiota composition in the probiotic group increased significantly after the end of the study compared with the baseline values. In this preliminary exploratory research, we found that two months of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CJLP243 treatment resulted in FD symptom improvement, reduced FC values, and increased Leuconostoc levels, suggesting that the intake of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum was helpful in those patients. These findings need to be validated via further clinical studies.

Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum CJLP55 on Clinical Improvement, Skin Condition and Urine Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles in Patients with Acne Vulgaris: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Lactobacillus plantarum CJLP55 has anti-pathogenic bacterial and anti-inflammatory activities in vitro. We investigated the dietary effect of CJLP55 supplement in patients with acne vulgaris, a prevalent inflammatory skin condition. Subjects ingested CJLP55 or placebo (n = 14 per group) supplements for 12 weeks in this double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized study. Acne lesion count and grade, skin sebum, hydration, pH and surface lipids were assessed. Metagenomic DNA analysis was performed on urine extracellular vesicles (EV), which indirectly reflect systemic bacterial flora. Compared to the placebo supplement, CJLP55 supplement improved acne lesion count and grade, decreased sebum triglycerides (TG), and increased hydration and ceramide 2, the major ceramide species that maintains the epidermal lipid barrier for hydration. In addition, CJLP55 supplement decreased the prevalence of Proteobacteria and increased Firmicutes, which were correlated with decreased TG, the major skin surface lipid of sebum origin. CJLP55 supplement further decreased the Bacteroidetes:Firmicutes ratio, a relevant marker of bacterial dysbiosis. No differences in skin pH, other skin surface lipids or urine bacterial EV phylum were noted between CJLP55 and placebo supplements. Dietary Lactobacillus plantarum CJLP55 was beneficial to clinical state, skin sebum, and hydration and urine bacterial EV phylum flora in patients with acne vulgaris.