Research: Alterations in Gut Microbiome Composition and Function in Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Increased Probiotic Abundance with Daily Supplementation

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by abdominal discomfort and irregular bowel movements and stool consistency. As such, the gut microbiome has been posited as being influential for the syndrome. However, identifying microbial features associated with IBS symptom heterogeneity is difficult without large cohorts. The aim of the research was to identify microbial features associated with IBS and IBS subtypes compared to healthy controls and to determine if a synbiotic supplementation intervention could decrease the proportion of those microbial features. The study identified microbial features that differentiate healthy and IBS subtypes. Synbiotic supplementation in IBS subjects did not result in alpha diversity change in the microbiome but did demonstrate changes in microbial features. Future work is needed to determine if the observed microbiome changes are associated with IBS symptom improvement.