Pro- and prebiotic effects on oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is related to inflammation and oxidative stress. Probiotics and prebiotics are considered anti-inflammatory and antioxidative factors. In this study, we evaluated the effects of probiotic and/or prebiotic on oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in patients with NAFLD.

Seventy-five NAFLD subjects were divided into four groups. The first group received a pro-biotic capsule of Bifidobacterium longum (B.L) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (L.A) (2 × 107 CFU/day), the second group received prebiotic (10 g/day inulin), the third group received pro-biotic and prebiotic, and the fourth group received placebo, for three months. Anthropometric, inflammatory and oxidative/ anti-oxidative indices were measured in all patients before and after the intervention.

We showed that consumption of pro- and/or prebiotic compared to placebo is able to significantly decrease body weight, body mass index, waist and hip circumferences, tumour necrosis factor-α and increase serum levels of total antioxidant capacity in patients with NAFLD (p<0.01). There were not any significant differences between probiotic, prebiotic and co-administration of them on the mentioned parameters. Co-administration of pro- and prebiotic caused significant decrease of high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) compared to the placebo and other groups (p<0.01). Interlekin-6 and malondialdehyde were not significantly different among groups at the end of study.

Probiotic or/and prebiotic supplementation can be effective for improvement of some anthropometric, inflammatory and oxidative indices in patients with NAFLD. Co-administration of pro- and prebiotic is more effective than probiotic and prebiotic alone in modifying hs-CRP in patients with NAFLD.