Exploring the promise of psychobiotics: Bridging gut microbiota and mental health for a flourishing society

Abstract

Mental health problems have become one of the major issues worldwide. People of every age group and gender are facing psychological issues. Conventional medicines are not reliable due to their adverse effects like altered sleeping pattern, addiction and health problems throughout the entire body. Psychobiotics is a new class of probiotics that is serving a wide range of applications in psychological health. Psychobiotic refers to the biological formulation which when consumed in right amount, confers psychological benefits. A lot of studies have supported the function of gut microbiota in mood cognition and controlling anxiety. The mechanism of action of psychobiotics has not been completely investigated. However, it may confer benefits by modulating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, by directly influencing immune system and through production of various neurotransmitters and neurohormones like proteins and short fatty acids chains. This review highlights the potential of different bacterial strains in human and animal trials. It latter also covers various psychobiotics formulations marketed by different companies. In addition to this, we also tried to cover the various hurdles in psychobiotic research that need to be addressed in the future to build a prosperous society.