Effects of Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis supplementation on gastrointestinal symptoms: systematic review with meta-analysis.

CONTEXT: The effects of probiotics on gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms have been increasingly investigated, particularly that of Bifidobacterium animalis. Clinical trials so far have shown differing evidence regarding these effects in healthy adults. OBJECTIVE: To synthesize the published evidence on the effects of B. animalis subspecies lactis on GI symptoms (GIS) in healthy adults. DATA SOURCE: A search of the Medline, Embase, Lilacs, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Google Scholar databases was conducted for reports on randomized controlled trials published up to October 2021. DATA EXTRACTION: Population characteristics and data on colonic transit time (CTT), stool consistency, defecation frequency, abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, volunteer compliance, and adverse events were extracted. A random-effects model was used to estimate the effect of probiotic treatment on these variables. DATA SYNTHESIS: In total, 1551 studies were identified, of which 14 were included in the qualitative synthesis and 13 in the meta-analysis. Overall, probiotic supplementation increased defecation frequency (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.26; 95%CI, 0.13-0.39). Subgroup analysis revealed a decrease in CTT (SMD, -0.34; 95%CI, -0.62 to -0.07) in short-term treatment (≤14 d) and an improvement in stool consistency (SMD, 0.76; 95%CI, 0.44-1.08) in individuals without GIS. No improvement in abdominal pain and bloating was found. CONCLUSIONS: B. animalis subspecies lactis supplementation may increase defecation frequency and, in short-term treatment, may reduce CTT in healthy adults and improve stool consistency in individuals without GIS. More high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to develop a clinical protocol for the use of this strain to improve these symptoms. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42020154060.

Enrichment of Probiotic Fermented Milk with Green Banana Pulp: Characterization Microbiological, Physicochemical and Sensory.

The aims of this study were (i) to evaluate the growth kinetic of L. paracasei LBC 81 in fermented milks enriched with green banana pulp (GBP); (ii) to evaluate the effect of the incorporation of GBP on the chemical composition and the sensory acceptance; and (iii) to study the viability of the probiotic and technological properties during refrigerated storage. The amount of GBP used were 3.0, 6.0 and 9.0 g/100 g. The results show that the higher the concentration of GBP added, the shorter the time taken to reach pH 4.6. It was observed that the incorporation of GBP did not affect negatively the viability of L. paracasei LBC 81 during storage. The fermented milk elaborated with 6.0 g/100 g of GBP was the most accepted. The present study indicates that the enrichment of fermented milk with GBP favors the stability of the probiotic strain, L. paracasei LBC 81 during storage.