image: BBA6 promoted serotonin secretion and inhibited kynurenine secretion by regulating the colonization of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillicus, suggesting that Trp metabolites may be an important target underlying the efficacy of BBA6.
Credit: ©Science China Press
Depression, a main cause of the global mental health burden, is increasingly linked to gastrointestinal issues like constipation. Recent research highlights the potential of probiotics to address this dual burden, with a clinical trial and animal study pinpointing the efficacy and mechanism of the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis A6 (BBA6).
In an 8-week randomized controlled trial involving 107 depressed patients, BBA6 demonstrated marked benefits for those with both depression and constipation. Further experiments in a rat model of comorbid depression and constipation revealed that BBA6 promoted serotonin secretion and inhibited kynurenine secretion by regulating the colonization of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillicus, suggesting that Trp metabolites may be an important target underlying the efficacy of BBA6.
This study not only clarifies how gut microbes influence mental health but also offers a safe, targeted probiotic therapy for comorbid constipation and depression. The research combined human clinical trials with animal models to validate BBA6’s role in alleviating comorbid constipation and depression. Further trials are planned to explore long-term benefits and broader applications.