Multi-Strain Probiotics Alleviate Alcoholic Liver Disease Via Microbiota-Metabolism Axis: A Randomized Controlled...

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Hepatology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) affects millions globally, often linked to gut dysbiosis and impaired gut-liver axis.
• Current ALD therapies lack efficacy due to insufficient gut-liver axis restoration.
• A multi-strain probiotic formulation may offer a novel therapeutic avenue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the adjuvant efficacy of a multi-strain probiotic formulation with polyene phosphatidylcholine (Essentale®) in ALD patients.
• To evaluate the impact on liver function, metabolic profiles, and gut microbiota.

Main Methods:

• A 30-day randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 42 ALD patients.
• Interventions: Essentale® plus probiotics vs. Essentale® plus placebo.
• Assessments included liver function tests, lipid profiles, fecal microbiota (16S rRNA), and metabolomics (GC-MS).

Main Results:

• The probiotic group showed significant reductions in ALT, AST, GGT, and TG, with increased HDL-C.
• Probiotics enriched beneficial bacteria (Bifidobacterium, Faecalibacterium, Akkermansia) and improved microbial diversity.
• Metabolomic analysis revealed increased anti-inflammatory/antioxidant metabolites and decreased pro-inflammatory intermediates.

Conclusions:

• Multi-strain probiotics modulate the gut-liver axis by reshaping microbiota and metabolic networks.
• Probiotics enhance the efficacy of conventional hepatoprotective drugs in ALD.
• This formulation presents a safe and complementary strategy for ALD management.