Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis with Synbiotic Yields Positive Results

Category: Gastrointestinal (GI) Health

A report published in the February issue of Gut found that treatment with synbiotics in active Ulcerative colitis resulted in decreased inflammation. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory condition of the bowel with an unknown etiology. It is postulated that an immune response against normal microflora in the intestines may mediate the inflammatory process. A study carried out at the University of Dundee investigated the effect of altering the microflora using a synbiotic of Bifidobacterium and Synergy 1 on active UC.

A synbiotic is a combination of a probiotic and a prebiotic. Probiotics are live microbes that benefit host intestinal balance. A prebiotic is a food specifically designed to benefit and encourage growth of the probiotic. In this case the probiotic was Bifidobacterium longum and the prebiotic Synergy 1, an oligofructose growth media.

There were only 18 patients enrolled in the study, randomized to two groups. The treatment group received the symbiotic twice daily for 4 weeks, while the control group received placebo. Outcome variables were clinical status and rectal biopsies. Inflammatory markers were also measured at baseline and completion of the study.

At completion of the study the treatment group had significant reduction in clinical scores as well as decreased inflammatory markers including TNF-alpha and IL-1 alpha. Biopsies in the treatment group were also consistent with reduced inflammation and showed regeneration of normal intestinal tissue, compared to the control group, which showed an increase in inflammation and further destruction of normal tissue.

This study represents new information and evidence about the usefulness of synbiotic therapy as a treatment for Ulcerative Colitis. Large-scale clinical trials are now needed to understand the long-term effects that synbiotic therapy has an active UC.

Posted by Kristopher Foster on November 21, 2008 10:00 AM