Novel probiotics may improve mood disorder symptoms and sleep quality

A novel multi-strain E3 probiotic formulation improves symptoms of depression and anxiety as well as sleep quality, a prospective cohort study has shown.

A population-based study amid the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that 19 percent and 14 percent of the Hong Kong population had depression and anxiety, respectively. Moreover, Hong Kong is one of the most sleep-deprived regions worldwide, with up to 48 percent of its population reporting sleep-related issues according to data from the Department of Health. [Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020;17:3740; Nutrients 2023;8;15:5037]

“Recent studies highlight the interplay between gut microbes and brain function through the gut-brain axis,” wrote the researchers from Hong Kong’s Microbiome Research Centre. To further investigate this topic, they recruited 68 Chinese individuals with sleep disturbance (n=55 [80.89 percent]) and/or moderate-to-severe mood disorder symptoms (depressive symptoms, n=16 [25.53 percent]; anxiety symptoms, n=9 [13.24 percent]) and analyzed the differences in their gut microbiome profiles before and after an 8-week course of a novel oral E3 multi-strain probiotic supplement containing Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. [Nutrients 2023;8;15:5037]

Depression and anxiety were evaluated according to the Patient Health Questionaire-9 (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scores, respectively, while the sleep quality was assessed by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Results showed that both mean PHQ-9 (6.17 vs 4.76; p<0.001) and GAD-7 (4.90 vs 3.76; p<0.001) scores significantly decreased after 8-week probiotic supplementation vs baseline. Intake of the probiotic supplement was also associated with a significantly lower PSQI (mean, 8.79 vs 7.10; p<0.001), indicating notable improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms as well as sleep quality.

“Participants with baseline depressive symptoms and poor sleep quality, in particular, experienced marked benefit,” pointed out the researchers. The majority of participants (75 percent) with baseline depressive symptoms had ≥20 percent reduction in PHQ-9 score. A greater proportion of patients with poor sleep quality initially showed significant improvements in PSQI vs those with good baseline sleep quality (70.9 percent vs 23.1 percent).

The relative abundance of Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus helveticus, and Lactobacillus plantarum in participants’ stool samples increased significantly after 8 weeks of probiotic supplementation (all p<0.001). “The upregulation of these specific species suggests their potential role in the observed symptomatic improvements,” noted the researchers. “The findings align with previous studies demonstrating the beneficial effects of probiotic combinations containing Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus on [alleviating] anxiety- and depression-related symptoms.”

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication network that links the enteric and central nervous systems. The presence of gastrointestinal vagal afferents (eg, mechanoreceptors, chemoreceptors) enables detection of and response to signals from the gut microbiota, allowing the gut to influence mood, mental health, and the sleep/wake cycle. [Integr Med (Encinitas) 2018;17:28-32; Nutrients 2023;8;15:5037; Front Physiol 2020:11:643]

Through remodelling the gut microbiome, the multistrain E3 probiotic supplement may be beneficial in individuals with mood disorder symptoms and poor sleep quality. “These findings shed light on microbial dynamics and have potential implications for mental health and sleep quality,” commented the researchers.