Efficacy of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei MSMC391 and Bifidobacterium animalis TA1 probiotics to modulate gut microbiota and reduce risk factors of metabolic syndrome A randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled study

Modern treatment, healthy diet, and physical activity routines lower metabolic syndrome risk factors. However, this condition is associated with all causes of cardiovascular mortality worldwide. This study was a randomized controlled trial, double-blind, parallel study. 58 participants with risk factors of metabolic syndrome according to inclusion criteria were randomized into two groups, probiotics (Lacticaseibacillus paracasei MSMC391 and Bifidobacterium animalis TA1), and placebo. The probiotics and placebo groups had a mean age of 42.29 and 43.89 years, respectively. Samples of stool, anthropometric data, and blood chemistries were taken at baseline and 12 weeks. The probiotics group achieved the primary outcome as their low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) level dramatically lowered compared to the placebo group (the difference was 39.97 mg/dL, p-value <0.001). . Moreover, significant reductions in body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (SBP), total cholesterol, triglycerides were observed in volunteers treated with probiotics (n=31) compared to placebo (n=27). In gut microbiome analysis, the study showed statistically significant differences in the beta diversity in the post intervention probiotics group. Blautia, Roseburia, Collinsella, and Ruminococcus were among the gut microbiomes that were more prevalent in the post test probiotics group. The post test probiotics group showed increases in the predicted functional changes of ABC transporters, RNA transport, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and pyruvate metabolism. In conclusion, the current study showed that probiotics Lacticaseibacillus paracasei MSMC391 and Bifidobacterium animalis TA1 have the efficacy to lower risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome.