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.
There is a contradiction in the use of microbiota-therapies, including probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics, to improve the condition of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this review was to evaluate the effect of microbiota-therapy on liver injury, inflammation, and lipid levels in individuals with NAFLD.
Using Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched for articles on the use of prebiotic, probiotic, or synbiotic for the treatment of patients with NAFLD up to March 2024.
Thirty-four studies involving 12,682 individuals were included. Meta-analysis indicated that probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic supplementation significantly improved liver injury (hepatic fibrosis, SMD = -0.31; 95% CI: -0.53, -0.09; aspartate aminotransferase, SMD = -0.35; 95% CI: -0.55, -0.15; alanine aminotransferase, SMD = -0.48; 95% CI: -0.71, -0.25; alkaline phosphatase, SMD = -0.81; 95% CI: -1.55, -0.08), lipid profiles (triglycerides, SMD = -0.22; 95% CI: -0.43, -0.02), and inflammatory factors (high-density lipoprotein, SMD = -0.47; 95% CI: -0.88, -0.06; tumour necrosis factor alpha, SMD = -0.86 95% CI: -1.56, -0.56).
Overall, supplementation with probiotic, prebiotic, or synbiotic had a positive effect on reducing liver enzymes, lipid profiles, and inflammatory cytokines in patients with NAFLD.
Pan Y
,Yang Y
,Wu J
,Zhou H
,Yang C
... -
《BMC GASTROENTEROLOGY》
Functional foods and dietary supplements in the management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to clarify the overall effects of functional foods and dietary supplements in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients.
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane library, and Embase from January 1, 2000 to January 31, 2022 were systematically searched to assess the effects of functional foods and dietary supplements in patients with NAFLD. The primary outcomes were liver-related measures, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and hepatic fibrosis and steatosis, while the secondary outcomes included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), triacylglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). These indexes were all continuous variables, so the mean difference (MD) was used for calculating the effect size. Random-effects or fixed-effects models were used to estimate the mean difference (MD). The risk of bias in all studies was assessed with guidance provided in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.
Twenty-nine articles investigating functional foods and dietary supplements [antioxidants (phytonutrients and coenzyme Q10) = 18, probiotics/symbiotic/prebiotic = 6, fatty acids = 3, vitamin D = 1, and whole grain = 1] met the eligibility criteria. Our results showed that antioxidants could significantly reduce WC (MD: -1.28 cm; 95% CI: -1.58, -0.99, P < 0.05), ALT (MD: -7.65 IU/L; 95% CI: -11.14, -4.16, P < 0.001), AST (MD: -4.26 IU/L; 95% CI: -5.76, -2.76, P < 0.001), and LDL-C (MD: -0.24 mg/dL; 95% CI: -0.46, -0.02, P < 0.05) increased in patients with NAFLD but had no effect on BMI, TG, and TC. Probiotic/symbiotic/prebiotic supplementation could decrease BMI (MD: -0.57 kg/m2; 95% CI: -0.72, -0.42, P < 0.05), ALT (MD: -3.96 IU/L; 95% CI: -5.24, -2.69, P < 0.001), and AST (MD: -2.76; 95% CI: -3.97, -1.56, P < 0.0001) levels but did not have beneficial effects on serum lipid levels compared to the control group. Moreover, the efficacy of fatty acids for treating NAFLD was full of discrepancies. Additionally, vitamin D had no significant effect on BMI, liver transaminase, and serum lipids, while whole grain could reduce ALT and AST but did not affect serum lipid levels.
The current study suggests that antioxidant and probiotic/symbiotic/prebiotic supplements may be a promising regimen for NAFLD patients. However, the usage of fatty acids, vitamin D, and whole grain in clinical treatment is uncertain. Further exploration of the efficacy ranks of functional foods and dietary supplements is needed to provide a reliable basis for clinical application.
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier: CRD42022351763.
Wang LL
,Zhang PH
,Yan HH
《Frontiers in Nutrition》