Impact of Combined Prebiotic Galacto-Oligosaccharides and Bifidobacterium breve -Derived Postbiotic on Gut Microbiota and HbA1c in Prediabetic Adults: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 16; no. 14; p. 2205
• Main Authors: Beteri, Beyda, Barone, Monica, Turroni, Silvia, Brigidi, Patrizia, Tzortzis, George, Vulevic, Jelena, Sekulic, Karol, Motei, Diana-Elena, Costabile, Adele
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 10-07-2024
• Subjects: Adult; Bifidobacterium breve; Biomarkers; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Cholesterol; Diabetes; Dietary Fiber - administration & dosage; Dietary Fiber - pharmacology; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Female; Galactose; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects; Glucose; Glycated Hemoglobin - metabolism; gut microbiome; Hemoglobin; High density lipoprotein; Humans; Inflammation; Insulin resistance; Intervention; Laboratories; Male; Mannans - pharmacology; Metabolism; Metabolites; Microbiota; Middle Aged; Oligosaccharides - administration & dosage; Pathogenesis; Permeability; Plasma; postbiotics; Prebiotics; Prebiotics - administration & dosage; prediabetes; Prediabetic State - diet therapy; Prediabetic State - therapy; Questionnaires; Social networks; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Germany; Bifidobacterium breve; gut microbiome; postbiotics; prediabetes
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu16142205

The complex interactions between intestinal microbiota and metabolic disorders are well-documented, with implications for glucose metabolism, energy expenditure, and intestinal permeability. Prebiotics induce beneficial changes in gut microbiota composition in prediabetes, while postbiotics can enhance gut barrier function, complementing each other to improve glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. This study investigated the effects of a 12-week dietary fibre (DF) supplement on gut health, metabolic function, and diet. The supplement contained konjac glucomannan (KGM), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOSs), and exopolysaccharides (EPSs) from
. In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial, 53 prediabetic volunteers were randomly assigned to either a daily DF supplement (YMETA) or a placebo (cellulose microcrystalline) for 12 weeks, followed by a 4-week follow-up. Measurements included gut microbiota composition, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), plasma lipids, anthropometry, body composition, blood pressure, and dietary intake. The intervention group showed a significant increase in alpha diversity and butyrate-producing bacteria, with reductions in HbA1c and FPG levels below prediabetes thresholds. No significant changes were observed in the placebo group. This study suggests that manipulating the human gut microbiome through dietary interventions could be a promising therapeutic approach to managing prediabetes and preventing or delaying diabetes.