Updated Review and Meta-Analysis of Probiotics for the Treatment of Clinical Depression: Adjunctive vs. Stand-Alone Treatment

Recent years have seen a rapid increase in the use of gut microbiota-targeting interventions, such as probiotics, for treatment psychiatric disorders. The objective this update review was to evaluate all randomised controlled clinical trial evidence on efficacy probiotics depression. Cochrane guidelines updated reviews were followed. By searching PubMed and Web Science databases, we identified 546 new records since our previous review. A total seven studies met selection criteria, capturing 404 people with random effects meta-analysis using type (stand-alone vs. adjunctive) subgroup performed. results demonstrated that are effective reducing depressive symptoms when administered addition antidepressants (SMD = 0.83, 95%CI 0.49–1.17), however, they do not seem offer significant benefits used stand-alone ?0.02, ?0.34–0.30). Potential mechanisms action may be via increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) decreases C-reactive protein (CRP), although limited is available at present. This offers stronger support depressed populations provides an insight into mode administration more likely yield antidepressant effects.