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Molecular Characterization of Probiotics and Their Influence on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are usually unable to express abdominal discomfort properly, and thus gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS) are sometimes shadowed by aggression, which is sometimes misunderstood as a behavioral characteristic of ASD. Several studies have reported interesting correlations between the severity of behavioral and gastrointestinal symptoms in ASD children. The present study aimed to investigate the potential effects of probiotics as an adjuvant therapy to modulate the clinical status of ASD children. This study included 40 children with ASD aged 2–5 years. The feeding product was prepared from whey powder (without casein) and some minced cooked yellow vegetables in adequate ratios fortified with the studied probiotic strains (Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp.). Bifidobacterium strains were assessed from stool samples of children with ASD. Bifidobacterium strains were analyzed in the stools of ASD children. Recruited ASD patients received 10 g of the nutritional supplement once a day for 3 months. Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADIR) were reevaluated clinically. Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms—Rome III Version was used for all children with ASD before and after. There is a significant increase in the colony counts of both Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp., which present in the stool of ASD children after probiotic supplementation for 3 months. It was highly significant in the case of Bifidobacterium spp. (p value 0.000) and a significant increase in Lactobacillus spp. (p value 0.015). The present study showed reduced anxiety and observation of deep sleep for children with ASD (80%) after taking the supplementation. This indicates that probiotics may have a potential effect in reducing symptoms and severity of ASD and in correcting dysbiosis.

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Data Availability

Due to a confidentiality agreement, supporting data can only be made available from Prof. Nagwa A. Meguid (e-mail meguidna@yahoo.com) to bona fide researchers subject to a non-disclosure agreement.

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Funding

This work was supported by National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research On Children With Special Needs Department, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt

    Nagwa A. Meguid & Mona Anwar

  2. CONEM Egypt Child Brain Research Group, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt

    Nagwa A. Meguid

  3. Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

    Youssef Imam A. Mawgoud

  4. Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM), Toften 24, 8610, Mo i Rana, Norway

    Geir Bjørklund

  5. Department of Dairy Science and Technology, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt

    Nayra Shakar Mehanne, Baher Abd El-Khalik Effat & Manar Magdy Abd Elrahman

  6. Department of Basic Sciences and Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Heliopolis University, El Salam City, Egypt

    Mona Anwar

  7. Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

    Salvatore Chirumbolo

  8. CONEM Scientific Secretary, Verona, Italy

    Salvatore Chirumbolo

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  1. Nagwa A. Meguid
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  2. Youssef Imam A. Mawgoud
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  8. Manar Magdy Abd Elrahman
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Contributions

All authors confirmed they have contributed to the intellectual content of this paper and have met the following three requirements: (a) significant contributions to the conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; (b) drafting or revising the article for intellectual content; and (c) final approval of the published article.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Geir Bjørklund.

Ethics declarations

Ethics Approval

The Ethical Committee granted ethics approval, National Research Centre (15/12/2020/No13178), with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was obtained from the parents after an explanation of the aim of the study and its benefits for their children before starting the study.

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Written informed consent was obtained from the parents of all patients.

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Consent to publish the data has been received from the parents of all patients.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Meguid, N.A., Mawgoud, Y.I.A., Bjørklund, G. et al. Molecular Characterization of Probiotics and Their Influence on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Mol Neurobiol 59, 6896–6902 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-022-02963-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-022-02963-8

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