epiglucan and Abdominal-Pain

To evaluate the efficacy of a mixture of beta-glucan, inositol and digestive enzymes in improving gastrointestinal symptoms in patients affected by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).. The study was conducted at the IBD Unit of the University of Catanzaro. Forty-three IBD patients with IBS symptoms were included in the study. IBD diagnosis was performed by clinical, endoscopic, histological and radiological criteria. Patients were in clinical remission and in treatment only with systemical and topical mesalamine. All study participants fulfilled the Rome III criteria for the diagnosis of IBS. The study participants were randomized into 2 groups: group A (n=23) received conventional treatment (systemical and topical mesalamine) plus a mixture of beta-glucan, inositol and digestive enzymes (one tablet after lunch and dinner) for four consecutive weeks; group B (n=20) received only conventional treatment. The prevalence and intensity of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were evaluated both at the enrollment (T0) and after four weeks of treatment (T1).. Patients who received mesalamine plus the mixture of beta-glucan, inositol and digestive enzymes (group A) reported a reduction in abdominal pain together with reduction in bloating and flatulence after four weeks of treatment. Importantly, an overall improvement in the general well-being has been recorded. Patients who underwent only mesalamine treatment (group B) reported a mild reduction in the evacuative urgency without any other improvements.. We have shown that supplementation with a mixture of beta-glucan, inositol and digestive enzymes reduces bloating, flatulence and abdominal pain, improving the overall clinical condition of IBD-IBS patients.

Topics: Abdominal Pain; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; beta-Glucans; Biological Factors; Drug Combinations; Drug Therapy, Combination; Enzyme Therapy; Female; Flatulence; Gastrointestinal Agents; Humans; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Inositol; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Male; Mesalamine; Middle Aged; Quality of Life

Beta-glucans are polysaccharides present in the cell walls of higher plants, in the seeds of some cereals, and certain yeasts and fungi also produce them. It is suggested that they exhibit, among many other health benefits, protective effects against carcinogenesis in the colon, but there is not enough human data to support this. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of barley-derived beta-glucan in the gut microbiota of polypectomized patients. Subjects were randomly assigned to consume 125 g of bread per day with beta-glucan (3 g/d), or without (placebo group), for 3 months. Thirty-three polypectomized men and women (mean age 57.6 years) were recruited into the study, but only 20 completed. Subjects did not consume any probiotics, prebiotics or antibiotics 2 months prior the intervention, or during the study. Stool samples were collected at baseline, on days 30 and 90 of intervention, as well as 2 weeks after the intervention, for enumeration of total aerobes and anaerobes, coliforms, E. coli, enterococci, Bacteroides spp., Clostridium perfringens, bifidobacteria, lactobacilli and Candida spp. Faecal bacterial enzyme activity (beta-glucuronidase and beta-glucosidase), pH, faecal moisture and the concentration of volatile fatty acids in the faeces were measured. Gastrointestinal symptoms were also recorded. Overall, no significant differences were observed in bacterial viable counts between the two feeding groups. Group specific analysis for β-glucan group revealed significantly decreased total coliform counts on the 30th day of the trial compared to the baseline (p = 0.041). Clostridium perfringens concentration increased without reaching statistical significance, on the 30th day, while it decreased significantly on the 90th day of the intervention compared to the 30th day (p = 0.016). An increase was noted in the molar ratio of acetate on the 90th day of the trial compared to placebo (p = 0.018). The molar ratio of butyrate presented a trend to increase on the 30th day, which decreased (p = 0.013) on the 90th day and then increase 2 weeks after the intervention (p = 0.017) compared to placebo. A decrease was recorded in the β-glucan group in the bloating and abdominal pain score after the 30th day of the intervention (Day 30-37) compared to placebo. During β-glucan administration we did not observe any changes on beta-glucuronidase or beta-glucosidase activity, faecal pH, or on faecal moisture.

Topics: Abdominal Pain; Aged; Bacteria; beta-Glucans; Biota; Candida; Carboxylic Acids; Colonic Polyps; Colony Count, Microbial; Diet; Enzymes; Feces; Female; Hordeum; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Male; Middle Aged; Pilot Projects; Placebos

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common functional gastrointestinal (GI). Diagnosis of IBS is based on the fulfilment of the Rome III criteria. Common GI symptoms are lower abdominal pain, bloating and disturbed defecation, such as urgent diarrhoea and/or episodes of chronic constipation. Many agents have been employed in the management of IBS, although only few have been demonstrated to show a relevant efficacy.. To evaluate the effectiveness of the administration of a mixture of beta-glucan, inositol and digestive enzymes (Biointo) in improving GI symptoms in patients affected by IBS.. 50 IBS patients (20 males, 30 females; mean age 51 +/- 19) were treated with Biointo (group A) while another group consisting of 40 IBS patients (15 males, 25 females; mean age 50 +/- 18) did not receive any therapy (group B).. Biointol administration improved significantly bloating, flatulence and abdominal pain, with a slight increasing of urgency for bowel movements. On the contrary, Biointol did not show any significant effect on the other IBS symptoms.. Currently, only few agents used in the management of IBS have been proven to be effective. Biointol administration has shown to improve some IBS symptoms, such as bloating, flatulence and abdominal pain, all connected to the presence of gas inside the intestinal lumen.

Topics: Abdominal Pain; Adult; Aged; beta-Glucans; Drug Combinations; Enzyme Therapy; Enzymes; Female; Flatulence; Gastrointestinal Agents; Humans; Inositol; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Male; Middle Aged; Treatment Outcome

Visceral hypersensitivity is one feature of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Bacterial dysbiosis might be involved in the activation of nociceptive sensory pathways, but there have been few studies of the role of the mycobiome (the fungal microbiome) in the development of IBS. We analyzed intestinal mycobiomes of patients with IBS and a rat model of visceral hypersensitivity.. We used internal transcribed spacer 1-based metabarcoding to compare fecal mycobiomes of 18 healthy volunteers with those of 39 patients with IBS (with visceral hypersensitivity or normal levels of sensitivity). We also compared the mycobiomes of Long-Evans rats separated from their mothers (hypersensitive) with non-handled (normally sensitive) rats. We investigated whether fungi can cause visceral hypersensitivity using rats exposed to fungicide (fluconazole and nystatin). The functional relevance of the gut mycobiome was confirmed in fecal transplantation experiments: adult maternally separated rats were subjected to water avoidance stress (to induce visceral hypersensitivity), then given fungicide and donor cecum content via oral gavage. Other rats subjected to water avoidance stress were given soluble β-glucans, which antagonize C-type lectin domain family 7 member A (CLEC7A or DECTIN1) signaling via spleen-associated tyrosine kinase (SYK), a SYK inhibitor to reduce visceral hypersensitivity, or vehicle (control). The sensitivity of mast cells to fungi was tested with mesenteric windows (ex vivo) and the human mast cell line HMC-1.. α diversity (Shannon index) and mycobiome signature (stability selection) of both groups of IBS patients differed from healthy volunteers, and the mycobiome signature of hypersensitive patients differed from that of normally sensitive patients. We observed mycobiome dysbiosis in rats that had been separated from their mothers compared with non-handled rats. Administration of fungicide to hypersensitive rats reduced their visceral hypersensitivity to normal levels of sensitivity. Administration of cecal mycobiomes from rats that had been separated from their mothers (but not non-handled mycobiome) restored hypersensitivity to distension. Administration of soluble β-glucans or a SYK inhibitor reduced visceral hypersensitivity, compared with controls. Particulate β-glucan (a DECTIN-1 agonist) induced mast cell degranulation in mesenteric windows and HMC-1 cells responded to fungal antigens by release of histamine.. In an analysis of patients with IBS and controls, we associated fungal dysbiosis with IBS. In studies of rats, we found fungi to promote visceral hypersensitivity, which could be reduced by administration of fungicides, soluble β-glucans, or a SYK inhibitor. The intestinal fungi might therefore be manipulated for treatment of IBS-related visceral hypersensitivity.

Topics: Abdominal Pain; Adult; Animals; Antifungal Agents; Anxiety, Separation; Behavior, Animal; beta-Glucans; Case-Control Studies; Cell Degranulation; Cell Line; Disease Models, Animal; Dysbiosis; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation; Feces; Female; Fungi; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Hyperalgesia; Intestinal Mucosa; Intestines; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Male; Mast Cells; Maternal Deprivation; Middle Aged; Pain Measurement; Pain Perception; Pain Threshold; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Rats, Long-Evans; Syk Kinase