Nutritional Neuroscience最新文献

{"title":"Prebiotics/synbiotics as natural alternatives for brain development and aging - focus on nutrigenomic and direct effects: a systematic review.","authors":"Lilian Vanessa Penha Gonçalves, Pedro Fernandes Gusmão de Holanda, Arthur Vinicius da Silva Cabral, Ricardo Gomes Dos Santos Nunes, Yanka Vitória de Santana Lira, Moara Rodrigues Costa, Ingrid Prata Mendonça, Aline Ananias de Lima, Êndel Alves Gomes de Oliveira, Christina Alves Peixoto, Filipe Silveira Duarte, Belmira Lara da Silveira Andrade-da-Costa","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2649604","DOIUrl":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2649604","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This review highlights the importance of prebiotics and their combination with probiotics as essential nutrients for brain development and as potential therapeutic alternatives for neurodegenerative diseases. It further highlights the nutrigenomic action of prebiotics or synbiotics.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted for studies published from 2010 to 2025. Key search terms included ('prebiotics' OR 'synbiotics)' AND ('brain development' OR 'neurodevelopment' OR 'cognition' OR 'neuroplasticity' OR 'brain aging)' AND ('epigenetics' OR 'nutrigenomics' OR 'gene expression' OR 'DNA methylation' OR 'histone modification' OR 'microRNA)'.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A literature search on the selected databases has identified 503 potentially relevant articles to this topic. After analysis of inclusion and exclusion criteria and duplicated studies, 79 articles (a total of 47 animal <i>in vivo</i> studies, 18 <i>in vitro</i> studies and 13 human studies) have been selected to be reviewed. Despite the importance of prebiotics or synbiotics as a prime source of energy, their diverse direct or indirect mechanisms of action have only recently been described, especially those involving these nutraceuticals as substrates for epigenetic effects.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The literature shows that further studies are necessary to elucidate mechanisms and strategies for prebiotic intervention in the brain epigenome during brain development, adulthood and aging. Notwithstanding, the current data can help to initiate novel health approaches for treating brain disorders. The development of targeted therapy, using prebiotics or synbiotics as nutrigenomic substrates, seems to restore normal interaction between systemic diseases and brain function.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1251-1267"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147777287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neonatal high-dose riboflavin attenuates abdominal adiposity and binge eating associated with adipose metabolic remodeling in experimental cerebral palsy.","authors":"Eulália Rebeca Silva-Araújo, Raul Manhães-de-Castro, Osmar Henrique Dos Santos Júnior, Joaci Pereira Dos Santos Júnior, Marcos Antônio Da Silva Araújo, Henrique José Cavalcanti Bezerra Gouveia, Thyago De Oliveira Rodrigues, José Geneilson Silva, Josep C Jimenez-Chillaron, Eduardo Padrón-Hernández, Ana Elisa Toscano","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2738370","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2738370","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Maternal immune activation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure is a critical factor in the pathogenesis of cerebral palsy (CP). This early inflammatory response predisposes the postnatal brain to hypoxic injury and metabolic dysregulation. Although hypoxic injury and metabolic dysregulation are well characterized individually, their interplay in CP and the potential role of metabolic modulators remain poorly understood.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We investigated the metabolic state of male Wistar rats in a CP model induced by gestational LPS (200 μg/kg) and postnatal anoxia at P0, and the effects of neonatal high-dose riboflavin (100 mg/kg, P1-P21).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>CP increased body weight (<i>p</i> < 0.05 to <i>p</i> < 0.01) and food intake (<i>p</i> < 0.05), whereas riboflavin reduced both parameters (<i>p</i> < 0.05 to <i>p</i> < 0.01). Moreover, CP also reduced kinetic energy (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and mean velocity (<i>p</i> < 0.05 to <i>p</i> < 0.01), whereas riboflavin partially restored motor performance by increasing mean velocity (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Riboflavin attenuated CP-associated abdominal adiposity and glucose resistance (<i>p</i> < 0.05), while CP caused reduced serum lipid (<i>p</i> < 0.01 to <i>p</i> < 0.001) and hypothalamic <i>Pomc/Npy</i> dysfunction (<i>p</i> < 0.05 to <i>p</i> < 0.01). Riboflavin upregulated <i>Slc2a4</i> (GLUT-4), dysregulated in CP (<i>p</i> < 0.05), and <i>Ppargc1a</i> (PGC-1α) in white and brown adipose tissues (<i>p</i> < 0.01 to <i>p</i> < 0.001), without affecting the hypothalamus, soleus muscle, or liver.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Collectively, these findings suggest that CP associated with maternal-fetal inflammation and postnatal anoxia leads to persistent systemic metabolic disturbances affecting abdominal adiposity and binge-eating behavior, which may be modulated by neonatal high-dose riboflavin through tissue-specific effects on adipose tissue. (<i>p</i>-value ranges reflect different pairwise comparisons among groups).</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-23"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149112863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deficient vitamin D levels exacerbate diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and supplementation alleviates neuropathic pain.","authors":"Bassel Alrabadi, Hasan I Matar, Natalie Bandak, Yousef Alghzawi, Alwaleed Emad Alshakhshir, Fadi Alrabadi, Hadeel A Alkayed","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2730594","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2730594","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Objectives:</b> Vitamin D deficiency has been proposed as a contributing factor to diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), but evidence regarding its clinical relevance remains inconsistent. This systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression evaluated the association between vitamin D deficiency and DPN and assessed the effects of vitamin D supplementation on neuropathic outcomes<b>Methods:</b> PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from inception to June 2025. We included observational studies comparing vitamin D levels in diabetic patients with and without DPN and interventional studies evaluating vitamin D supplementation. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed using standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Meta-regression assessed the influence of age and body mass index (BMI).<b>Results:</b> Thirty-three studies involving 17,369 participants were included. In 12 observational studies (n = 2,937), patients with DPN had significantly lower serum vitamin D levels than those without neuropathy (SMD = -0.90, 95% CI -1.51 to -0.30; <i>p</i> = 0.003). Seven interventional studies (n = 437) showed that vitamin D supplementation significantly increased serum vitamin D concentrations (SMD = 2.54, 95% CI 1.05 to 4.03; <i>p</i> = 0.008) and reduced neuropathic pain severity (SMD = -1.30, 95% CI -1.73 to -0.86; <i>p</i> < 0.0001). No significant effect was observed on HbA1c levels (SMD = -0.35, 95% CI -0.87 to 0.17; <i>p</i> = 0.18). Meta-regression demonstrated no significant moderating effects of age or BMI.<b>Discussion:</b> Vitamin D deficiency is significantly associated with DPN, and vitamin D supplementation improves neuropathic pain while increasing serum vitamin D concentrations. These benefits appear independent of glycemic control. Although substantial heterogeneity exists among studies, the findings support vitamin D supplementation as a potentially safe and low-cost adjunctive therapy for diabetic neuropathy. Further large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to establish optimal supplementation strategies and confirm long-term clinical benefits.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149025520","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ketogenic diet reverses obesity-associated hippocampal dysfunction and cognitive impairment in rats: a dietary comparison study.","authors":"Monya T Jawharji, Ghedeir M Alshammari, Manal Abdulaziz Binobead, Ali Saleh, Laila Naif Al-Harbi, Mohammed Abdo Yahya","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2734187","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2734187","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objective: </strong>This study evaluated the effects of a high, low, and low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (HCD, LCD, and LCKD) on hippocampal damage and memory impairment in high-fat diet (HFD) rats.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Male rats were allocated into five groups. A control group received normal chow for 16 weeks, whereas the remaining groups were fed an HFD for 8 weeks and were then switched to normal chow, HCD, LCD, or LCKD for a further 8 weeks.</p><p><strong>Results and conclusion: </strong>Final body weight, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, fasting glucose and insulin, and serum free fatty acids, triglycerides, and total cholesterol were increased in the high-fat diet and high-fat diet plus high-carbohydrate diet groups. These rats also showed increased hippocampal tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, malondialdehyde, acetylcholinesterase, and nuclear factor kappa B messenger RNA and nuclear levels, together with reduced acetylcholine, reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 messenger RNA and nuclear levels. Severe dentate gyrus degeneration was also observed, with generally greater changes after the high-carbohydrate diet. Low-carbohydrate and low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets attenuated these metabolic, oxidative, inflammatory, structural, and memory abnormalities. However, increased hippocampal nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 messenger RNA and nuclear levels occurred only with the low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet. Thus, both diets alleviated high-fat diet-induced hippocampal damage and memory deficits, whereas the ketogenic diet additionally activated the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 antioxidant and anti-inflammatory axis.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-19"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149025515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of probiotic supplementation on psychological stress in healthy adults with moderate stress levels: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.","authors":"Rebecca F Slykerman, Naomi Davies, Christopher Frampton, Bertram Fong, Imad Al Kassaa, James Dekker, Shalome Bassett","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2729710","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2729710","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Psychological stress is increasingly linked to gut microbiota composition, prompting interest in probiotics as potential modulators of mental health. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of probiotic supplementation on mood, inflammatory immune markers, and serum neurotransmitters.<b>Method:</b> Using a five-arm, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial design, the study randomised 766 participants to receive capsules containing either <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> (FNZ339) or <i>Lactobacillus Plantarum</i> at a dose of either 1 × 10⁹ colony forming units (CFU) or 1 × 10¹⁰ CFU, or placebo daily for eight weeks. Viability counts performed during the trial showed an unexpected reduction in counts for <i>L. Plantarum</i>, resulting in a dosage per capsule that was not representative of a therapeutic dose. Therefore, analysis was performed only for <i>L. lactis</i> compared to placebo. The primary outcome of the study was stress as measured by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). Secondary outcomes included self-reported anxiety, depression, and sleep quality, salivary inflammatory markers, and blood neurotransmitters.<b>Results:</b> Improvements in psychological symptoms were observed across all groups. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the <i>L. lactis</i> and placebo groups for stress as the primary outcome <i>(L. lactis</i> -5.2, SD 8.6 vs Placebo: -5.6, SD 7.5). Similarly, no significant group differences were observed for secondary outcomes including anxiety, depression, or sleep quality. Similarly, no significant group differences were found for salivary cortisol or inflammatory markers.<b>Conclusion:</b> This study highlights the importance of large, well-controlled trials in probiotic research and underscores the strain-specific nature of probiotic effects on mental health outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149017649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tryptophan-enriched diet improves social behavior in a mouse model of tuberous sclerosis complex.","authors":"Mariana Lapo Pais, Carla Fonseca, João Martins, Ana Fortuna, Miguel Castelo-Branco, Joana Gonçalves","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2734200","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2734200","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Tryptophan is an essential dietary amino acid and the sole precursor of serotonin (5-HT), a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in cognition, mood regulation, and sensory processing. Because central serotonin synthesis depends on dietary tryptophan availability, nutritional modulation of tryptophan intake has emerged as a potential strategy to influence brain function and behavior. Disruptions in tryptophan metabolism and serotonergic signaling have been implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC), a neurogenetic condition frequently associated with ASD. In this study, we investigated whether dietary tryptophan supplementation could modulate brain tryptophan metabolism and improve ASD-related behaviors in the <i>Tsc2^+/-</i> mouse model. <b>Methods:</b> For that, behavioral tests were performed together with <i>in vivo</i> magnetic resonance spetrosocopy (¹H-MRS) and <i>ex vivo</i> high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). <b>Results:</b> Behavioral analysis revealed sex-specific improvements following supplementation, including enhanced sociability in females, restoration of social novelty preference in males, and reduced anxiety-like behavior accompanied by increased exploratory activity across groups. These behavioral changes were associated with increased cortical tryptophan levels, as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. However, no significant alterations in cortical excitation/inhibition balance were detected using <i>in vivo</i> proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. <b>Conclusions:</b> Together, these findings demonstrate that dietary tryptophan supplementation enhances cortical tryptophan availability and ameliorates ASD-like behavioral phenotypes in <i>Tsc2^+/-</i> mice. Our results highlight the potential of nutritional modulation of tryptophan intake as a non-invasive strategy to influence serotonergic pathways and behavioral outcomes, supporting the development of precision nutrition approaches for neurodevelopmental disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149002238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of branched-chain amino acid on depression: a systematic review.","authors":"Armaan Goel, Haya Majid, Nidhi","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2729717","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2729717","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Depression is a global mental health disorder and is linked to impaired quality of life and increased risk of chronic diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), including valine, isoleucine and leucine, may influence neurobiological pathways involved in depression through modulation of neurotransmitter signaling.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases from their inception to April 2026. Studies evaluating BCAA supplementation or dietary intake in relation to depression were included. Cross-sectional studies, observational studies, retrospective studies, randomized controlled trials and case-control studies available in English were considered. Data extraction and quality assessment were conducted using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eleven studies involving 3902 participants were included. Seven studies reported a reduction in depressive symptoms following BCAA supplementation or higher dietary intake. Improvement was observed among elderly populations and patients with metabolic or chronic conditions. Observational studies demonstrated an inverse association between dietary BCAA intake and depression-related outcomes. However, several studies reported non-significant findings and heterogeneity existed regarding study design, participant characteristics, dosage and assessment methods. Evidence also suggested that combined exercise and BCAA interventions provide additional benefits.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Current evidence suggests that BCAAs may play a potential role in depression and mental health outcomes. Findings from intervention, dietary exposure and biomarker studies indicate a possible association between BCAAs and depressive symptoms; however, the available evidence remains heterogeneous and inconclusive. Further well-designed, adequately powered clinical trials are required to establish the therapeutic role of BCAAs in depression.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148970512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neurodevelopmental and vitamin B12 status of patients treated for neurocutaneous infantile vitamin B12 deficiency syndrome: a follow up study.","authors":"Badal Jain, Chandrika Azad, Seema Gupta, Vishal Guglani, Sukhvinder Singh","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2732134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2732134","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Neurocutaneous infantile vitamin B12 deficiency syndrome (NIB) or Infantile tremor syndrome (ITS) is a common yet under-recognised cause of potentially preventable neurodevelopmental impairment in infants. Although haematological recovery is rapid with treatment, the extent of long-term neurological recovery remains uncertain.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this ambispective study from a tertiary care centre in North India, 52 children with NIB (low serum vitamin B12 levels along with neurological features) aged 3 months to 2 years were followed up after one year of treatment. All children underwent neurodevelopment screening using the Developmental Assessment Scale for Indian Children (DASII), with additional autism screening using the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) and blood sampling for serum vitamin B12 levels.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The biochemical recovery was universal among all children; however, neurodevelopmental recovery was strikingly poor. Only 19.2% of children achieved normal motor developmental quotient (DQ), and 11.5% achieved normal mental DQ. Twenty-five per cent of children had a moderate risk for autism on M-CHAT. Factors associated with poorer mental outcome (DQ < 50) were very low serum vitamin B12 levels at baseline, higher age at the time of presentation, prolonged exclusive breastfeeding, severe anaemia, involvement of cognitive domains at presentation, and autism risk.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Neurodevelopmental delay persists in a significant proportion of NIB patients despite correction of vitamin B12 deficiency. The present study emphasises the critical need for early diagnosis, timely intervention, and long-term neurodevelopmental surveillance.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148956203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neuroprotective effects of <i>Ligusticum wallichii</i> in vascular dementia via AKT activation, oxidative stress and the Bcl-2/Bax/caspase-3 axis.","authors":"Mengyuan Liu, Lixue Bai, Manman Niu, Di Zhang, Jun Wang, Xueli Xu, Taozhi Li, Yushuang Xing, Yuqi Yang, Guohua Wang, Yiyi Wang, Likun Zhang, Yu Li, Song Lin, Nana Meng, Libo Wen","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2724361","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2724361","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Vascular dementia (VD) is a major cause of cognitive decline associated with cerebrovascular dysfunction, and effective therapeutic strategies remain limited. Ligusticum wallichii is a traditional medicinal herb with neuroprotective activity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study investigated the protective effects of L. wallichii against VD by combining network pharmacology with experimental validation. Active constituents and putative targets of L. wallichii were identified using the TCMSP database and SwissTargetPrediction platform, whereas VD-related genes were collected from GeneCards, DisGeNET and OMIM. Protein-protein interaction analysis, Gene Ontology annotation, KEGG pathway enrichment and molecular docking were used to prioritize targets and pathways. The extract used for animal studies was profiled by HPLC. A rat model of VD induced by permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion was used for in vivo validation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Seven database-derived compounds and 450 putative targets were identified, of which 177 overlapped with VD-related genes. Network analysis highlighted AKT1, TNF, EGFR, BCL2 and CASP3 as hub targets associated with oxidative stress- and apoptosis-related signalling. HPLC detected ferulic acid, senkyunolide H, senkyunolide I, senkyunolide A and Z-ligustilide in the extract. In vivo, L. wallichii reduced neurological deficit scores, improved spatial learning and memory, alleviated hippocampal neuronal injury, restored cholinergic balance and increased antioxidant indices. Western blotting showed restoration of AKT phosphorylation, increased Bcl-2 expression, reduced Bax and Caspase-3 expression, and recovery of the Bcl-2/Bax ratio after treatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings associate the neuroprotective effects of L. wallichii in VD with AKT activation, attenuation of oxidative stress and inhibition of Bcl-2/Bax/Caspase-3-related apoptosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-19"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148888274","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pre- and probiotics for gastrointestinal and behavioral symptoms in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review.","authors":"Marcela França Dias, Yago Jean de Almeida Nogueira, Antônio Márcio de Ávila Júnior, Maria Clara Fernandes da Silva, Marco Aurélio Romano-Silva, Débora Marques de Miranda","doi":"10.1080/1028415X.2026.2723173","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2026.2723173","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Many studies have explored whether targeting gut microbiota (GM) could improve health outcomes in neurodevelopmental conditions. In this way, this systematic review examined whether pre- and/or probiotic interventions could modulate GM and reduce gastrointestinal (GI) and behavioral symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Embase. Eligible studies included participants with ASD diagnosis who received prebiotic and/or probiotic treatment, with outcomes assessing GM- and ASD-related symptoms. From 8795 records identified, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria, totaling 1015 participants.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Most probiotic formulations used <i>Bifidobacterium</i> and <i>Lactobacillus</i> strains, and prebiotics, such as galactooligosaccharides. Reported effects included microbiota changes and improvements in GI symptoms, such as reduced abdominal pain. Behavioral benefits were described in some studies, but less consistently.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Microbiota-targeted interventions were considered safe and, in most cases, effective in alleviating GI symptoms. However, behavioral improvements were variable and possibly influenced by strain specificity, treatment duration, and concurrent dietary factors. Despite the potential as an adjunctive strategy for managing GI comorbidities, their role in addressing core ASD symptoms is unclear, and current evidence is more consistent for GI symptoms than for behavior. Some reported benefits may reflect combined interventions rather than probiotics or prebiotics specifically. Additionally, most participants were children, with limited representation of older individuals. Larger, long-term trials with rigorous designs are needed to clarify clinical relevance, uncover underlying mechanisms, and identify which patients are most likely to benefit from these interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":19423,"journal":{"name":"Nutritional Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148875457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}