Probiotics reduce risk-taking behavior in the Elevated Plus Maze in the Flinders Sensitive Line rat model of depression.

•Probiotics decreased risk-taking behavior, but did not affect cognition, depression, or corticosterone concentrations.•The addition of four bacterial strains to a commercial probiotic product did not potentiate behavioral or stress-related responses.•FSL rats had lower corticosterone concentrations following the Dexamethasone Suppression Test compared to FRL rats.