Abstract A novel strategy for preventing urogenital tract infections is the incorporation of beneficial strains into the design of vaginal probiotic products. This study aimed to incorporate Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus CRL1332-nanofibres on feminine hygiene devices (tampons and pantyliners) and textile substrate using different electrospinning setups. The use of agitation in the electrospinning collector system proved to be an optimal strategy for coating tampons. Moreover, the setup with an uniaxial translational nozzle and a conventional collector system was appropriate for coating pantyliners and textile substrates. The incorporation of lactobacilli immobilised in nanofibres onto the devices was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, yielding measurements similar to those of non-immobilised cells (length ∼2,118 nm; width ∼741 nm). The viable cell number of lactobacilli was around 10 7 -10 8 cfu/tampon, pantyliner, or gr textile substrate and was maintained after one-year of storage under refrigeration conditions. L. rhamnosus CRL1332 immobilised nanofibres preserved its acidifying capability. The samples demonstrated chemical and thermal stability over time under refrigerated and vacuum-packed conditions. Different electrospinning systems proved to be novel and suitable for designing functional vaginal products with viable L. rhamnosus CRL1332 through simple and effective steps. These lactobacilli-coated devices could serve as effective vaginal probiotic delivery systems, promoting the reconstitution of the vaginal microbiota and improving feminine hygiene and health.
Abstract The upper respiratory tract (URT) microbiome is increasingly recognised as a key determinant of airway health, yet the potential of probiotics to beneficially modulate these communities remains largely unexplored, despite the high burden of URT infections such as otitis media (OM). This randomised controlled trial investigated the migration of two model probiotic strains, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12, to different URT niches in 37 children with otitis media with effusion (OME) treated daily with oral oil drops for one month. URT samples from the adenoids, and nasopharynx were analysed with species-specific qRT-PCR and 16S amplicon sequencing. L. rhamnosus GG-like bacteria were detected in 4/19 of treated patients compared to 0/18 in the control group. Probiotic treatment with oral oil droplets modestly increased the prevalence of L. rhamnosus GG-like bacteria in the nasopharynx and adenoids (from 0% to 16.67% and 15.79% respectively), and a slight positive association was observed with the abundance of Dolosigranulum pigrum (effect size = 0.13). Interestingly, other factors, such as maternal antibiotic use after birth, were associated with a notable higher abundance of Moraxella catarrhalis/nonliquefaciens (Maaslin effect size = 5.10), and a lower abundance of Streptococcus pneumoniae/pseudopneumoniae (Maaslin effect size = −2.27). In conclusion, this study suggests that oral probiotics might modulate the URT microbiome in ways relevant to OM, although the magnitude and direction of effects likely depend on the specific strains used. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under B300201731908.
Abstract Aging is associated with metabolic decline, brown adipose tissue (BAT) dysfunction, and remodelling of the gut microbiota. Akkermansia muciniphila (AKK) has been implicated in metabolic regulation; however, its relationship with BAT aging remains unclear. This study aims to investigate whether age-associated AKK depletion is linked to BAT aging and whether AKK supplementation attenuates aging phenotypes in BAT. Male mice aged 7 weeks, 7 months, and 11 months were analysed to characterise age-related changes in gut microbiota and BAT. 16S rRNA sequencing was performed to assess microbial composition. BAT morphology, thermogenic gene expression, and senescence markers were evaluated by histology, immunofluorescence, western blotting, and quantitative PCR. In a separate experiment, 11-month-old mice received live AKK supplementation for 30 days. Analysis of covariance was conducted to adjust for body weight where appropriate. Aging was accompanied by reduced microbial diversity and progressive depletion of AKK. BAT from older mice exhibited increased expression of senescence-associated genes, enlarged lipid droplets, and reduced thermogenic markers. AKK abundance was negatively correlated with BAT senescence markers. Supplementation with live AKK in middle-aged mice was associated with reduced Cdkn1a expression and increased thermogenic gene expression in BAT. These associations remained significant after adjustment for body weight. Aging in mice is accompanied by gut microbiota remodelling characterised by AKK decline and concurrent BAT aging phenotypes. AKK supplementation is associated with partial attenuation of BAT aging markers. These findings support a link between age-related microbial shifts and adipose tissue aging.
Abstract Functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) are common in children and are associated with alterations in the gut–brain axis and intestinal microbiota. Although individual probiotic strains such as Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG have demonstrated efficacy over placebo, direct comparative evidence between strains is limited. This prospective quasi-experimental analysis with blinded outcome assessment was conducted at a tertiary care centre in South India between January 2025 and March 2026. Children aged 5–12 years diagnosed with Functional Abdominal Pain–Not Otherwise Specified (FAP-NOS) according to Rome IV criteria were randomised (1:1) to receive either L. reuteri DSM 17938 or L. rhamnosus GG for two months. The primary outcome was reduction in monthly pain frequency at two months. Secondary outcomes included reduction in pain intensity and school absenteeism with a six-month follow-up. A total of 124 children were randomised, with 100 completing the study per protocol. Both groups showed significant reductions in pain frequency from baseline to two months ( P -value < 0.001). Median pain frequency decreased from 5.00 to 2.00 episodes/month in the L. reuteri group and from 6.00 to 1.00 in the L. rhamnosus group, with no significant between-group difference ( P -value = 0.784). Pain intensity and school absenteeism also significantly decreased within groups without intergroup difference. Improvements were sustained at six-month follow-up. Both L. reuteri DSM 17938 and L. rhamnosus GG demonstrate comparable effectiveness in reducing pain frequency, pain intensity and school absenteeism in children with FAP-NOS, with sustained benefits. The trial is registered at Clinical Trials Registry-India under CTRI/2025/01/079050.
Probiotics have gained increasing evidence for their roles in health and disease. Microencapsulation can improve the consistency and efficacy of probiotic-fortified foods by enabling safer delivery to target regions of the gastrointestinal tract. We evaluated a probiotic snack bite containing microencapsulated Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG. Twenty-five healthy adults consumed one snack daily for 28 days, then a 7-day washout, followed by crossover. Outcomes included gastrointestinal health analysis, bowel movement ease and frequency, bloating, overall gut comfort, shotgun metagenomics and systemic biomarkers of barrier, brain function and inflammation. Compared with the lower-fibre control snack, the probiotic snack was associated with easier bowel movements and fewer constipation reports at end of period, while bloating remained low in both periods. However, because the products differed in nutritional composition, these findings cannot be attributed to L. rhamnosus GG alone inflammatory and barrier biomarkers did not differ between treatments and stayed within healthy ranges. In an exploratory subgroup with elevated baseline serotonin, end-of-period serotonin was lower after the probiotic-containing snack than after the control snack, whereas brain-derived neurotrophic factor was unchanged. Daily intake of microencapsulated Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG was well tolerated and was associated with exploratory difference in bowel habit and serum serotonin in a subgroup, without detectable changes in systemic inflammation or barrier biomarkers.
