Photo Credit: Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen
The following is a summary of “Efficacy of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics on liver enzymes, lipid profiles, and inflammation in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials,” published in the August 2024 issue of Gastroenterology by Pan et al.
The use of microbiota therapies for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is controversial, with conflicting evidence regarding their effectiveness.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study assessing the impact of microbiota therapy on liver disease parameters in patients with NAFLD.
They searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases for articles on prebiotic, probiotic, or synbiotic treatments for patients with NAFLD up to March 2024.
The results showed 34 studies with 12,682 participants, a meta-analysis revealed that probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic supplementation significantly enhanced liver injury (hepatic fibrosis, standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.31; 95% CI: -0.53 to -0.09, aspartate aminotransferase, SMD = -0.35; 95% CI: -0.55 to -0.15; alanine aminotransferase, SMD = -0.48; 95% CI: -0.71 to -0.25; alkaline phosphatase, SMD = -0.81; 95% CI: -1.55 to -0.08), improved lipid profiles (triglycerides, SMD = -0.22; 95% CI: -0.43 to -0.02), and reduced inflammatory factors (high-density lipoprotein, SMD = -0.47; 95% CI: -0.88 to -0.06; tumor necrosis factor-alpha, SMD = -0.86; 95% CI: -1.56 to -0.56).
Investigators concluded that microbiota therapies improved liver health in patients with NAFLD.
Source: bmcgastroenterol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12876-024-03356-y
