This randomized double-blind and controlled single-center clinical trial was designed to evaluate the effect of a 6-week intake of a probiotic product (1 capsule/day) vs. a placebo on an oxidative stress model of physical exercise (high intensity and duration) in male cyclists (probiotic group, n = 22; placebo, n = 21). This probiotic included three lyophilized strains (Bifidobacterium longum CECT 7347, Lactobacillus casei CECT 9104, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus CECT 8361). Study variables were urinary isoprostane, serum malondialdehyde (MDA), serum oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL), urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxiguanosine (8-OHdG), serum protein carbonyl, serum glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and serum superoxide dismutase (SOD). At 6 weeks, as compared with baseline, significant differences in 8-OHdG (Δ mean difference −10.9 (95% CI −14.5 to −7.3); p < 0.001), MDA (Δ mean difference −207.6 (95% CI −349.1 to −66.1; p < 0.05), and Ox-LDL (Δ mean difference −122.5 (95% CI −240 to −4.5); p < 0.05) were found in the probiotic group only. Serum GPx did not increase in the probiotic group, whereas the mean difference was significant in the placebo group (477.8 (95% CI 112.5 to 843.2); p < 0.05). These findings suggest an antioxidant effect of this probiotic on underlying interacting oxidative stress mechanisms and their modulation in healthy subjects. The study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03798821).

To date, there is a lack of research into the vaginal and sperm microbiome and its bearing on artificial insemination (AI) success in the ovine species. Using hypervariable regions V3–V4 of the 16S rRNA, we describe, for the first time, the combined effect of the ovine microbiome of both females (50 ewes belonging to five herds) and males (five AI rams from an AI center) on AI outcome. Differences in microbiota abundance between pregnant and non-pregnant ewes and between ewes carrying progesterone-releasing intravaginal devices (PRID) with or without antibiotic were tested at different taxonomic levels. The antibiotic treatment applied with the PRID only altered Streptobacillus genus abundance, which was significantly lower in ewes carrying PRID with antibiotic. Mageebacillus, Histophilus, Actinobacilllus and Sneathia genera were significantly less abundant in pregnant ewes. In addition, these genera were more abundant in two farms with higher AI failure. Species of these genera such as Actinobacillus seminis and Histophilus somni have been associated with reproductive disorders in the ovine species. These genera were not present in the sperm samples of AI rams, but were found in the foreskin samples of rams belonging to herd 2 (with high AI failure rate) indicating that their presence in ewes’ vagina could be due to prior transmission by natural mating with rams reared in the herd.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic recurrent inflammatory skin disease with a high impact on the comfort of those who are affected and long-term treated with corticosteroids with limited efficacy and a high prevalence of relapses. Because of the limited effectiveness of these treatments, new strategies for recovery from AD lesions are continually being explored. In this article, we describe the gut microbiome changes achieved in a recently published clinical trial with the probiotic formulation Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CECT 8145, Bifidobacterium longum CECT 7347, and Lacticaseibacillus casei CECT 9104 (formerly Lactobacillus casei CECT 9104), showing a significant improvement in SCORAD (scoring atopic dermatitis) index in children (4–17 years) with AD (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02585986). The present gut microbiome post hoc study showed no significant changes in diversity (Shannon and Simpson indexes) after probiotic consumption. In the probiotic group, genera Bacteroides, Ruminococcus, and Bifidobacterium significantly increased their levels while Faecalibacterium decreased, compared to the placebo group. Faecalibacterium showed the highest presence and significant positive correlation with AD severity (SCORAD index), whereas Abyssivirga, Bifidobacterium, and Lactococcus were inversely correlated. The results suggest that the consumption of the probiotic formulation here assayed modulates the gut microbiome with significant changes in genera Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium. In turn, the improvement in SCORAD correlates with a decrease in Faecalibacterium and an increase in Bifidobacterium, among others.

Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by a wide range of clinical manifestations, including obesity, hyperphagia, and behavioral problems. Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strain BPL1 has been shown to improve central adiposity in adults with simple obesity. To evaluate BPL1′s effects in children with PWS, we performed a randomized crossover trial among 39 patients (mean age 10.4 years). Participants were randomized to placebo–BPL1 (n = 19) or BPL1–placebo (n = 20) sequences and underwent a 12-week period with placebo/BPL1 treatments, a 12-week washout period, and a 12-week period with the crossover treatment. Thirty-five subjects completed the study. The main outcome was changes in adiposity, measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Secondary outcomes included lipid and glucose metabolism, hyperphagia, and mental health symptoms. Generalized linear modeling was applied to assess differences between treatments. While BPL1 did not modify total fat mass compared to placebo, BPL1 decreased abdominal adiposity in a subgroup of patients older than 4.5 years (n = 28). BPL1 improved fasting insulin concentration and insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, we observed modest improvements in some mental health symptoms. A follow-up trial with a longer treatment period is warranted to determine whether BPL1 supplementation can provide a long-term therapeutic approach for children with PWS (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03548480).

Understanding the characteristics of the vaginal microbiota of our patients allows us to carry out both a personalized therapeutic approach and a closer follow-up in those with microbiota susceptible to dysbiosis. This trial pursues the analysis of the vaginal microbiota of premenopausal women and its fluctuations within a four-week follow-up period. Vaginal samples of 76 fertile women were taken at a baseline visit and at a final visit (day 28 ± 5). To perform a phylogenetic study, we employed massive sequencing techniques to detect the 16S rRNA gene of the vaginal microbiota. The most prevalent vaginal microbial community was type I (34.87%), dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus. Vaginal microbial community types II (Lactobacillus gasseri) and V (Lactobacillus jensenii) were underrepresented in our population. When repeating the sampling process four weeks later, 75% of our patients maintained their initial bacterial community. In the follicular phase, the most recurrent microbiota was type III (Lactobacillus iners); in the periovulatory phase, types III and IV (microbial diversity); finally, in the luteal phase, the most frequent type was IV. The most prevalent vaginal bacterial community in our population was dominated by L. crispatus. The vaginal microbiota was resistant to changes in its bacterial community in 75% of our patients, even between consecutive menstrual cycles.

Prader–Willi syndrome is a rare genetic disorder associated with impaired body composition, hyperphagia, and excessive weight gain. Strict dietary restrictions from an early age is crucial to prevent or delay the early onset of obesity, which is the main driver of comorbidities in these patients. The aim of this study was to identify dietary and gut microbiota components closely linked to weight status of these patients. We studied a cohort of children and adolescents with genetic diagnosis of Prader–Willi syndrome (N = 31), in which we determined adiposity by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and dietary composition with 4-day food records. Furthermore, we obtained fecal samples to assess microbiota composition by 16S sequencing. Multivariate regression models showed that body mass index standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) and body fat mass were directly associated with saturated fat intake and meat consumption, and inversely associated with fruit consumption. Furthermore, the gut microbiome from normal weight patients was characterized by higher phylogenetic diversity compared to those overweight or obese, with differential abundance of several genera, including Alistipes, Klebsiella, and Murimonas. Notably, Alistipes abundance was inversely correlated to adiposity, lipid and glucose homeostasis parameters, and meat intake. Our results suggest that limiting meat and increasing fruit intake might be beneficial for body weight management in children and adolescents with Prader–Willi syndrome.