The Effects of Prebiotic Dietary Fibers, Probiotics, and Synbiotics on Gut Permeability and Immunity: A Systematic Review
Abstract
Background: Modulation of intestinal barrier, which function through zonulin pathway downregulation, represents a promising therapeutic strategy for chronic diseases. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effects of prebiotic dietary fibers, probiotics, and synbiotics on intestinal permeability and immunity.
Methods: A systematic literature search of the EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus electronic databases was conducted from database inception up to May 2024, supplemented by manual reference list searches. Included studies met the following criteria: (a) English language publications; (b) clinical trials; (c) investigated each factor of serum or fecal zonulin levels, serum or fecal calprotectin, glucagon-likepeptide-2 (GLP-2), short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), fecal bile acid (BA), LPS-binding protein (LBP), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), intestinal microbiota composition, or inflammatory factors such as interleukin 6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP); (d) supplemented prebiotic dietary fibers, probiotics, or symbiotics. Studies were excluded if they contained insufficient data or involved supplementation alongside other interventions. The study quality and risk of bias were assessed using Jadad's Score.
Results: A total of 36 studies were included in this review. Of these, 14 articles (n=580 participants) evaluated the effect of dietary prebiotics, 18 articles (n=1502 participants) evaluated the effect of…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 1,502 participants or records.
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