Effects of Bacillus coagulans Probiotic on Lactose Digestibility and Malnutrition in Rats: In Vivo Study
Bacillus coagulans has been shown to enhance nutrient digestibility and amino acid absorption from milk proteins in vitro. However, the impact of this probiotic supplementation on digestion has not been evaluated in vivo.
Female Wistar rats were subjected to a lactose-rich diet challenge (LD; 35% lactose) following 7 days of B.coagulans administration (LD-BC; n = 10) or vehicle (LD-C; n = 10). Vehicle-treated rats exposed to a control diet (CD; 35% corn starch) served as controls (CD-C; n = 10). Carbohydrate oxidation (CH_OX) and lipid oxidation (L_OX) were monitored using indirect calorimetry before and after the diet challenge.
Post-challenge, rats were treated daily with either vehicle or probiotic for an additional week and fed CD or LD ad libitum to determine the effects of BC30 supplementation in a lactose-induced diarrhea and malnutrition model.
LD-C rats exhibited lower CH_OX levels than CD rats, whereas LD-BC rats showed CH_OX levels similar to CD rats during the challenge, suggesting improved digestion in B.coagulans supplemented rats. B.coagulans completely reversed the increased length of the small intestine in LD-C animals.
LD-BC rats demonstrated increased intestinal Muc2 mRNA expression. No significant variations due to B.coagulans administration were observed in other parameters such as serum calprotectin, intestinal MPO activity, A1AT, intestinal SGLT1 levels, or intestinal mRNA levels of Claudin2 and Occludin.
B.coagulans treatment improved digestibility in an acute challenge and positively influenced some parameters associated with lactose-induced malnutrition.
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Source: Teichenné, J., Catalán, Ú., Mariné-Casadó, R. et al. Bacillus coagulans improves lactose digestion in rats exposed to a high-lactose meal. Eur J Nutr 62, 2649–2659 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-023-03183-z
