Kyei-Baffour Vincent Owusu, Vijaya Akshay Kumar, Burokas Aurelijus, Daliri Eric Banan-Mwine
Department of Biological Models, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2025 Feb 5:1-20. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2025.2459341.
Psychobiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer mental health benefits to the host. Several clinical studies have demonstrated significant mental health benefits from psychobiotic administration, making them an emerging topic in food science. Certain strains of , , , , and species are known for their ability to modulate the gut-brain axis and provide mental health benefits. Proposed action mechanisms include the production of neuroactive compounds or their precursors, which may cross the blood-brain barrier, or transported by their extracellular vesicles. However, there is a lack of in vivo evidence directly confirming these mechanisms, although indirect evidence from recent studies suggest potential pathways for further investigation. To advance our understanding, it is crucial to study these mechanisms within the host, with accurate quantification of neuroactive compounds and/or their precursors being key in such studies. Current quantification methods, however, face challenges, such as low sensitivity for detecting trace metabolites and limited specificity due to interference from other compounds, impacting the reliability of measurements. This review discusses the emerging field of psychobiotics, their potential action mechanisms, neuroactive compound estimation techniques, and perspectives for improvement in quantifying neuroactive compounds and/or precursors within the host.
精神益生菌是一类活的微生物，当给予足够数量时，能给宿主带来心理健康益处。多项临床研究已证明服用精神益生菌对心理健康有显著益处，这使其成为食品科学领域一个新兴的话题。某些双歧杆菌属、乳杆菌属、芽孢杆菌属、肠球菌属和酵母菌属的菌株以其调节肠-脑轴并提供心理健康益处的能力而闻名。提出的作用机制包括产生可能穿过血脑屏障或通过其细胞外囊泡运输的神经活性化合物或其前体。然而，尽管最近研究的间接证据提示了进一步研究的潜在途径，但缺乏直接证实这些机制的体内证据。为了增进我们的理解，在宿主体内研究这些机制至关重要，准确量化神经活性化合物和/或其前体是此类研究的关键。然而，目前的量化方法面临挑战，例如检测痕量代谢物的灵敏度低以及由于其他化合物的干扰导致特异性有限，影响了测量的可靠性。本综述讨论了精神益生菌这一新兴领域、它们潜在的作用机制、神经活性化合物估计技术以及在宿主体内量化神经活性化合物和/或前体方面改进的前景。
