Psychobiotics: A new approach for treating mental illness?
Abstract
Gut microbiomes may have a significant impact on mood and cognition, which is leading experts towards a new frontier in neuroscience. Studies have shown that increase in the amount of good bacteria in the gut can curb inflammation and cortisol level, reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, lowers stress reactivity, improves memory and even lessens neuroticism and social anxiety. This shows that, probably the beneficial gut bacteria or probiotics function mechanistically as delivery vehicles for neuroactive compounds. Thus, a psychobiotic is a live organism, when ingested in adequate amounts, produces a health benefit in patients suffering from psychiatric illness. Study of these novel class of probiotics may open up the possibility of rearrangement of intestinal microbiota for effective management of various psychiatric disorders.
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The gut microbiota is involved in modulating the expression of neurochemical receptors and modulating the brain-gut axis, leading to psychotropic, antidepressant, and anxiolytic effects.
“The gut microbiota is also involved in modulating the expression of neurochemical receptors and modulating the brain-gut axis, leading to psychotropic, antidepressant, and anxiolytic effects [236].”
From Lactic Acid Bacteria in Raw-Milk Cheeses: From Starter Cultures to Probiotic Functions (2022) · cites this paper as [236]
Psychobiotics exert antidepressant effects by altering emotional, cognitive, and neuronal indices.
“These act through the brain-gut axis, and exert antidepressant effects by altering emotional, cognitive, and neuronal indices [236,239].”
From Lactic Acid Bacteria in Raw-Milk Cheeses: From Starter Cultures to Probiotic Functions (2022) · cites this paper as [236]
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Lactic Acid Bacteria in Raw-Milk Cheeses: From Starter Cultures to Probiotic Functions
Coelho, M. C., Malcata, F. X., & Silva, C. C. G. (2022) · Foods · doi:10.3390/foods11152276 · Cited by 276 · see citing works
“The gut microbiota is also involved in modulating the expression of neurochemical receptors and modulating the brain-gut axis, leading to psychotropic, antidepressant, and anxiolytic effects [236].”
- Authors
- Misra, S., & Mohanty, D.
- Affiliations
- IMU University (MY)
- Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (IN)
- Corresponding author
- Misra, Snigdha
- Venue
- Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2017-11-30
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1230-1236
- ISSN
- 1040-8398 (ISSN-L)
- 1549-7852
- OpenAlex
- W2771183037
- Cited by
- 142
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 11
- FWCI
- 0.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Keywords
- psychobiotics, gut microbiota, probiotics, mental illness, depression, anxiety, stress reactivity, neuroinflammation, cortisol, neuroactive compounds, memory, social anxiety, neuroticism
- MeSH terms
- Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Animals, Bacteria, Mental Disorders, Brain, Cognition, Depression, Humans, Neuropsychology, Bacterial Physiological Phenomena, Probiotics
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