Cathartic colon is primarily characterized by substantial damage to the enteric nervous system (ENS).Probiotics have demonstrated the ability to repair the ENS and enhance gut motility.However, existing probiotic screening methods predominantly rely on animal models or clinical trials, both of which are inefficient and costly.This study aimed to develop a rapid and efficient in vitro screening method to identify probiotics capable of alleviating the cathartic colon.Probiotic lysates, dead bacterial components, and fermentation supernatants were co-cultured with enteric glial cells (EGCs) in vitro, and the expression levels of neurotrophic factors Bdnf, Gdnf, and S100β were measured.Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to identify three probiotic strains with high, medium, and low in vitro scores, which were subsequently validated in vivo.Results showed that the trends in the in vivo efficacy of the three strains were consistent with their in vitro scores.Notably, Bifidobacterium bifidum BB5 significantly upregulated the expression of neurotrophic factors in vitro, indicating its potential for modulating the ENS.In vivo, Bifidobacterium bifidum BB5 increased stool water content, enhanced fecal pellet count, and reduced intestinal transit time, thereby alleviating the cathartic colon.The in vitro screening method developed based on EGCs was efficient, cost-effective, and reliable.It provided a novel scientific approach for probiotic screening and functional evaluation, offering promising probiotic intervention strategies for the treatment of the cathartic colon.This method establishe an important theoretical foundation for the screening and clinical application of probiotics and holds considerable potential for broad application.
ZHU Shengnan
,
XUE Yifan
,
HUANG Yin
,
LI Jiazhen
,
LIU Wenxu
,
WANG Linlin
,
CHEN Wei
. Screening and validation of probiotics to relieve cathartic colon based on enteric glial cells[J]. Food and Fermentation Industries, 2025
, 51(14)
: 1
-8
.
DOI: 10.13995/j.cnki.11-1802/ts.042193
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