Novel Multi-Strain E3 Probiotic Formulation Improved Mental Health Symptoms and Sleep Quality in Hong Kong Chinese

Chan, Helen Hoi Yin; Siu, Pui Ling Kella; Choy, Chi Tung; Chan, Un Kei; Zhou, Junwei; Wong, Chi Ho; Lee, Yuk Wai; Chan, Ho Wang; Tsui, Joseph Chi Ching; Loo, Steven King Fan; Tsui, Stephen Kwok Wing

doi:10.3390/nu15245037

Open AccessArticle

Novel Multi-Strain E3 Probiotic Formulation Improved Mental Health Symptoms and Sleep Quality in Hong Kong Chinese

by

Helen Hoi Yin Chan

¹,

Pui Ling Kella Siu

¹,

Chi Tung Choy

¹,

Un Kei Chan

¹,

Junwei Zhou

¹,

Chi Ho Wong

¹,

Yuk Wai Lee

¹,

Ho Wang Chan

¹

,

Joseph Chi Ching Tsui

¹,

Steven King Fan Loo

^1,2,3,* and

Stephen Kwok Wing Tsui

^1,4,5,6,*

¹

Microbiome Research Centre, BioMed Laboratory Company Limited, Hong Kong, China

²

Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

³

Dermatology Centre, CUHK Medical Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

⁴

School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

⁵

Centre for Microbial Genomics and Proteomics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

⁶

Hong Kong Bioinformatics Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Nutrients 2023, 15(24), 5037; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15245037

Submission received: 15 November 2023 / Revised: 5 December 2023 / Accepted: 6 December 2023 / Published: 8 December 2023

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Latest Research on Probiotics: Nourishing Health or Pathways to Disease Resolution)

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Abstract

Mental health issues have emerged as a significant concern in public health, given their association with physical and psychological comorbidities and the resultant socioeconomic burdens. Recent studies have highlighted the interplay between gut microbes and brain functions through the gut–brain axis. To investigate this further, we conducted a targeted 16S rRNA sequencing and comprehensive bioinformatic analysis among Southern Chinese individuals to explore the role of the gut microbiome in depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance. We analyzed the differences in the gut microbiome profile of 68 participants with sleep disturbance and mood symptoms before and after an 8-week course of a novel oral E3 multi-strain probiotics formula. The results revealed a significant improvement in subjective sleep quality (PSQI: mean 8.79 at baseline vs. 7.10 at week 8, p < 0.001), depressive symptoms (PHQ9: mean 6.17 at baseline vs. 4.76 at week 8, p < 0.001), and anxious symptoms (GAD7: mean 4.90 at baseline vs. 3.76 at week 8, p < 0.001). Additionally, there were notable differences in beta diversity (weighted UniFrac; p = 0.045) and increased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio (p = 4 × 10⁻⁴) were observed in the gut microbiome analysis. Furthermore, the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium bifidum (p < 0.001), Lactobacillus acidophilus (p < 0.001), Lactobacillus helveticus (p < 0.001) and Lactobacillus plantarum (p < 0.001) were significantly increased after the 8-week probiotic supplementation. Our study suggests that the gut microbial landscape varies between responders and non-responders at multiple levels, including genera, species, functional, and network interaction. Notably, the use of probiotics in populations with depressive or anxious symptoms and poor sleeping quality remodeled the gut microbiome and demonstrated improved mood and sleep quality.

Keywords: mental health; sleep quality; prebiotics; probiotics; postbiotics; gut microbiome; psychobiotics; metagenomics; Bifidobacterium; Lactobacillus

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MDPI and ACS Style

Chan, H.H.Y.; Siu, P.L.K.; Choy, C.T.; Chan, U.K.; Zhou, J.; Wong, C.H.; Lee, Y.W.; Chan, H.W.; Tsui, J.C.C.; Loo, S.K.F.; et al. Novel Multi-Strain E3 Probiotic Formulation Improved Mental Health Symptoms and Sleep Quality in Hong Kong Chinese. Nutrients 2023, 15, 5037. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15245037

AMA Style

Chan HHY, Siu PLK, Choy CT, Chan UK, Zhou J, Wong CH, Lee YW, Chan HW, Tsui JCC, Loo SKF, et al. Novel Multi-Strain E3 Probiotic Formulation Improved Mental Health Symptoms and Sleep Quality in Hong Kong Chinese. Nutrients. 2023; 15(24):5037. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15245037

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chan, Helen Hoi Yin, Pui Ling Kella Siu, Chi Tung Choy, Un Kei Chan, Junwei Zhou, Chi Ho Wong, Yuk Wai Lee, Ho Wang Chan, Joseph Chi Ching Tsui, Steven King Fan Loo, and et al. 2023. "Novel Multi-Strain E3 Probiotic Formulation Improved Mental Health Symptoms and Sleep Quality in Hong Kong Chinese" Nutrients 15, no. 24: 5037. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15245037

APA Style

Chan, H. H. Y., Siu, P. L. K., Choy, C. T., Chan, U. K., Zhou, J., Wong, C. H., Lee, Y. W., Chan, H. W., Tsui, J. C. C., Loo, S. K. F., & Tsui, S. K. W. (2023). Novel Multi-Strain E3 Probiotic Formulation Improved Mental Health Symptoms and Sleep Quality in Hong Kong Chinese. Nutrients, 15(24), 5037. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15245037

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Novel Multi-Strain E3 Probiotic Formulation Improved Mental Health Symptoms and Sleep Quality in Hong Kong Chinese

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