Beneficial and anti-inflammatory effects of formulated prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics in normal and acute colitis mice

In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an altered gut microbiota is observed and is a proposed causal factor for compromised intestinal integrity and disease progression. Therefore, maintenance and modulation of the gut microbiome may be beneficial to health and for treatment of IBD. Prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics have been suggested to positively impact the gut microbiota and thus we aimed to evaluate the effects of a formulated prebiotic mixture (Pre), probiotic mixture (Pro), and synbiotics (Syn) in normal mice, and their therapeutic effects in acute dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mice. We observed significant reductions in plasma IL-6 levels and increased intestinal occludin expression in both models after treatment. In DSS-induced mice, treatment modulated gut microbiota, improved gut integrity, upregulated anti-inflammatory cytokines, and suppressed plasma pro-inflammatory mediators, potentially via inhibition of IL-6/STAT3 signaling. Our results demonstrate the beneficial effects of Pre, Pro, and Syn consumption and their potential therapeutic effects in IBD.