Abstract
- Background
Lactobacillus paracasei K71 was previously shown to be effective in alleviating the severity of atopic dermatitis in a randomized controlled trial, and a preliminary open-label trial suggested that strain K71 intake enhanced secretory immunoglobulin A release in the saliva. This study investigated the effect of K71 on salivary secretory immunoglobulin A release in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial.
- Methods
The trial included 62 Japanese subjects aged 20 to 64 years with relatively low rates of salivary secretory immunoglobulin A release. Subjects, with 31 participants in each group, were randomly given a tablet containing 100 milligrams—approximately 200 billion bacteria—of K71 or a placebo tablet daily for 12 weeks. After eliminating data for eight subjects who met the exclusion criteria for efficacy analysis, data for 54 subjects were analyzed. Safety was also confirmed in an independent open-label trial with 20 healthy subjects who consumed excessive amounts of K71-containing food.
- Results
The change in the rate of salivary secretory immunoglobulin A release 8 weeks after initiation of the study compared with baseline was significantly higher in the K71 tablet group at 105.5 ± 119.0 micrograms per minute than in the placebo group at 52.7 ± 62.6 micrograms per minute. There were no adverse events associated with the intake of tablets containing K71, confirming the safety of Lactobacillus paracasei K71.
- Conclusions
Lactobacillus paracasei K71 intake may provide significant benefits in promoting mucosal immune function in humans.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5395425/