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Updated: Jul 11, 2025

The Cultivation, Growth, and Viability of Lactic Acid Bacteria: A Quality Control Perspective
Published on: June 16, 2022
Lactic acid bacteria in relieving constipation: mechanism, clinical application, challenge, and opportunity
Tong Zhang1,2, Wenxu Liu1,2, Huimin Lu1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
Abstract:
Constipation is a prevalent gastrointestinal symptom that can considerably affect a patients' quality of life. Although several drugs have been used to treat constipation, they are associated with high costs, side effects, and low universality. Therefore, alternative intervention strategies are urgently needed. Traditional lactic acid bacteria (LAB), such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, play a vital role in regulating intestinal microecology and have demonstrated favorable effects in constipation; however, a comprehensive review of their constipation relief mechanisms is limited. This review summarizes the pathogenesis of constipation and the relationship between intestinal motility and gut microbiota, elucidates the possible mechanism by which LAB alleviates of constipation through a systematic summary of animal and clinical research, and highlights the challenges and applications of LAB in the treatment of constipation. Our review can improve our understanding of constipation, and advance targeted microecological therapeutic agents, such as LAB.
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