Blending Three Probiotics Alleviates Loperamide-Induced Constipation in Sprague-Dawley (SD)-Rats

BIOVITA 3 bacterial species (BIOVITA 3), a probiotic blend powder containing Clostridium butyricum IDCC 1301, Weizmannia coagulans IDCC 1201 and Bacillus subtilis IDCC 1101, has been used as a food ingredient for gut health. However, its efficacy in improving constipation has not been reported. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the functional effects of oral administration of BIOVITA 3 as well as its component strains alone (at 1.0×10⁹ CFU/day) in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with loperamide-induced constipation. The study included fecal analysis, gastrointestinal transit ratio, histopathological analysis, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and metagenome analysis. As results, the BIOVITA 3 group showed significant improvements in fecal number, water content, gastrointestinal transit ratio, and thickening of the mucosal layer. In the SCFAs analysis, all probiotic-treated groups showed an increase in total SCFAs compared to the loperamide-constipated group. Changes in microbial abundance and the diversity index of three groups (normal, constipated, and BIOVITA 3) were also defined. Of these, the BIOVITA 3 showed a significant improvement in loperamide-constipated SD-rats. This study suggests the possibility that BIOVITA 3 can be applied as an ingredient in functional foods to relieve constipation.