An Intervention on Healthy Adults of Probiotics on Gut Flora Metabolisms of Choline
An Intervention on Healthy Adults of Probiotics on Gut Flora Metabolisms of Choline
The aim of the study is to examine the effects of probiotics intervention on choline
 metabolites and intestinal microbiota composition using a randomized double blind clinical
 trial. Also, we proposed to explore the real-time change of choline metabolites after
 probiotics intervention through a PC challenge test. Our study will clarify the biochemical
 pathway involved in metabolic diseases and hope to provide a new targeted-preventive and
 therapeutic strategy for chronic metabolic diseases.
Dietary choline (mainly refer to phosphatidylcholine, PC) produce trimethylamine (TMA)
 through the action of gut flora in vivo. TMA then readily absorbed into systemic circulation
 and oxidized by hepatic flavin monoxygenases (FMO3) to trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). The
 elevated levels of circulating TMAO is identified as a risk factor for the prevalence and
 development of metabolic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and nonalcoholic fatty
 liver diseases. Targeting gut flora for reducing TMAO may be a promising approach for
 preventing chronic metabolic diseases. Recent studies found that some strains representing
 two different phyla (Firmicutes and Proteobacteria) are capable of producing TMA from choline
 in vitro. On the other hand, TMA intervention can change the structure of intestinal flora,
 reducing the abundance of bifidobacterium and lactobacillus. Probiotics can improve the
 ecological balance of the gut flora, which might be beneficial to human health and disease
 prevention. However, whether probiotics could inhibit the TMA-producing bacterias and reduce
 the TMA and TMAO levels through balancing the gut flora was unclear.

 In order to explore whether probiotics can reduce the TMA and TMAO levels, we are proposed to
 recruit 50 volunteers aged from 18-30 years old to participate in the randomized double-blind
 trial. The volunteers are randomized allocated into different intervention groups. The
 probiotics intervention group is provided once daily orally-taken powder in a sachet, which
 contains 4 strains of probiotics. The non-probiotic control is provided with a powder without
 probiotics , but has same look, color, taste, flavor and weight as the probiotics
 intervention group. A PC challenge test will be hold before and after the 4 weeks
 intervention. The blood and fecal sample will be collected before and after the trial and
 analyzed by appropriate method. The dietary assessment is assessed by a 3-day dietary
 record.The statistic analysis is by SPSS 23.0.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Healthy males at 18 to 30 years old;

 -  Free from antibiotics and probiotic products for at least 1 month;

 -  Willing to participate in the study, consume the test product and perform all
 measurements.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Sever physical diseases;

 -  Intolerance to probiotics or eggs