The Effect of Psyllium Husk on Intestinal Microbiota in Constipated Patients and Healthy Controls

Psyllium is a widely used treatment for constipation. It traps water in the intestine increasing stool water, easing defaecation and altering the colonic environment. We aimed to assess the impact of psyllium on faecal microbiota, whose key role in gut physiology is being increasingly recognised. We...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of molecular sciences 2019-01, Vol.20 (2), p.433
Main Authors: Jalanka, Jonna, Major, Giles, Murray, Kathryn, Singh, Gulzar, Nowak, Adam, Kurtz, Caroline, Silos-Santiago, Inmaculada, Johnston, Jeffrey M, de Vos, Willem M, Spiller, Robin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetic acid
Age composition
Cellulose
Clinical trials
Colitis
Comparative studies
Composition
Constipation
Dietary fiber
Fatty acids
Fermentation
Gums
Inflammation
Inflammatory response
Intestinal microflora
Intestine
Inulin
ispaghula
microbiome
Microbiota
Microorganisms
Patients
prebiotics
Studies
transit
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Psyllium is a widely used treatment for constipation. It traps water in the intestine increasing stool water, easing defaecation and altering the colonic environment. We aimed to assess the impact of psyllium on faecal microbiota, whose key role in gut physiology is being increasingly recognised. We performed two randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trials comparing 7 days of psyllium with a placebo (maltodextrin) in 8 healthy volunteers and 16 constipated patients respectively. We measured the patients' gastrointestnal (GI) transit, faecal water content, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) and the stool microbiota composition. While psyllium supplement had a small but significant effect on the microbial composition of healthy adults (increasing and decreasing ), in constipated subjects there were greater effects on the microbial composition (increased , , , and and decreased uncultured and ) and alterations in the levels of acetate and propionate. We found several taxa to be associated with altered GI transit, SCFAs and faecal water content in these patients. Significant increases in three genera known to produce butyrate, , and , correlated with increased faecal water. In summary, psyllium supplementation increased stool water and this was associated with significant changes in microbiota, most marked in constipated patients.
ISSN:1422-0067
1661-6596
1422-0067
DOI:10.3390/ijms20020433