Multistrain Probiotics and Telomere Length in Type 2 Diabetes: A 24-Week Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: This 24-week randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the impact of multistrain probiotic supplementation on telomere length in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The study also assessed secondary outcomes including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and glycated hemogl...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Venkata Chaithanya, Janardanan Kumar, Kakithakara Vajravelu Leela, Habeeb Ali Baig, Mohamed Soliman, Awwad Alenezy, Naglaa M. Shalaby
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Life
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/2/311
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850229778174443520
author Venkata Chaithanya
Janardanan Kumar
Kakithakara Vajravelu Leela
Habeeb Ali Baig
Mohamed Soliman
Awwad Alenezy
Naglaa M. Shalaby
author_facet Venkata Chaithanya
Janardanan Kumar
Kakithakara Vajravelu Leela
Habeeb Ali Baig
Mohamed Soliman
Awwad Alenezy
Naglaa M. Shalaby
author_sort Venkata Chaithanya
collection DOAJ
description Background: This 24-week randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the impact of multistrain probiotic supplementation on telomere length in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The study also assessed secondary outcomes including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Methods: A total of 124 participants with T2DM were randomly assigned to either a probiotic group (<i>n</i> = 62) or a placebo group (<i>n</i> = 62). Participants in the probiotic group consumed a supplement containing fourteen live microbial strains, including <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i>, <i>L. fermentum</i>, <i>L. acidophilus</i>, <i>L. casei</i>, <i>L. rhamnosus</i>, <i>L. reuteri</i>, <i>L. salivarius</i>, <i>L. paracasei</i>, <i>L. gasseri</i>, <i>Bifidobacterium bifidum</i>, <i>B. lactis</i>, <i>B. breve</i>, <i>Streptococcus thermophilus</i>, and <i>Saccharomyces boulardii</i>, with each strain providing 2.148 billion CFUs per capsule, totaling 30 billion CFUs. The placebo group received vitamin B12 capsules without probiotics. The primary outcome was telomere length, and secondary outcomes included hs-CRP and HbA1c levels. Data were analyzed using intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) methods. Results: The probiotic group exhibited a statistically significant decrease in telomere shortening compared to the placebo group (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The hs-CRP levels decreased more significantly in the probiotic group (<i>p</i> < 0.001), suggesting potential anti-inflammatory effects. The HbA1c levels improved in the probiotic group, with a reduction of 0.44% (<i>p</i> = 0.004). An age-stratified analysis revealed more substantial improvements in the 30–49 years cohort, which showed greater reductions in telomere shortening, inflammatory markers, and metabolic indicators compared to the 50–69 years group. Conclusions: Multistrain probiotic supplementation shows potential benefits in reducing telomere shortening and improving glycemic control. However, further long-term studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and therapeutic implications of probiotics in T2DM. Trial registration: This trial was registered at the Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI/2023/07/055647).
format Article
id doaj-art-353888b16c1f49d7bc67ca6abaebcefc
institution OA Journals
issn 2075-1729
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Life
spelling doaj-art-353888b16c1f49d7bc67ca6abaebcefc2025-08-20T02:04:06ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292025-02-0115231110.3390/life15020311Multistrain Probiotics and Telomere Length in Type 2 Diabetes: A 24-Week Randomized Controlled TrialVenkata Chaithanya0Janardanan Kumar1Kakithakara Vajravelu Leela2Habeeb Ali Baig3Mohamed Soliman4Awwad Alenezy5Naglaa M. Shalaby6Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, SRMIST, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu 603203, Tamil Nadu, IndiaDepartment of General Medicine, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, SRMIST, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu 603203, Tamil Nadu, IndiaDepartment of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, SRMIST, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu 603203, Tamil Nadu, IndiaDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar 91431, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar 91431, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar 91431, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar 91431, Saudi ArabiaBackground: This 24-week randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the impact of multistrain probiotic supplementation on telomere length in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The study also assessed secondary outcomes including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Methods: A total of 124 participants with T2DM were randomly assigned to either a probiotic group (<i>n</i> = 62) or a placebo group (<i>n</i> = 62). Participants in the probiotic group consumed a supplement containing fourteen live microbial strains, including <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i>, <i>L. fermentum</i>, <i>L. acidophilus</i>, <i>L. casei</i>, <i>L. rhamnosus</i>, <i>L. reuteri</i>, <i>L. salivarius</i>, <i>L. paracasei</i>, <i>L. gasseri</i>, <i>Bifidobacterium bifidum</i>, <i>B. lactis</i>, <i>B. breve</i>, <i>Streptococcus thermophilus</i>, and <i>Saccharomyces boulardii</i>, with each strain providing 2.148 billion CFUs per capsule, totaling 30 billion CFUs. The placebo group received vitamin B12 capsules without probiotics. The primary outcome was telomere length, and secondary outcomes included hs-CRP and HbA1c levels. Data were analyzed using intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) methods. Results: The probiotic group exhibited a statistically significant decrease in telomere shortening compared to the placebo group (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The hs-CRP levels decreased more significantly in the probiotic group (<i>p</i> < 0.001), suggesting potential anti-inflammatory effects. The HbA1c levels improved in the probiotic group, with a reduction of 0.44% (<i>p</i> = 0.004). An age-stratified analysis revealed more substantial improvements in the 30–49 years cohort, which showed greater reductions in telomere shortening, inflammatory markers, and metabolic indicators compared to the 50–69 years group. Conclusions: Multistrain probiotic supplementation shows potential benefits in reducing telomere shortening and improving glycemic control. However, further long-term studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and therapeutic implications of probiotics in T2DM. Trial registration: This trial was registered at the Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI/2023/07/055647).https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/2/311type 2 diabetesprobioticstelomere lengthHbA1chs-CRP
spellingShingle Venkata Chaithanya
Janardanan Kumar
Kakithakara Vajravelu Leela
Habeeb Ali Baig
Mohamed Soliman
Awwad Alenezy
Naglaa M. Shalaby
Multistrain Probiotics and Telomere Length in Type 2 Diabetes: A 24-Week Randomized Controlled Trial
Life
type 2 diabetes
probiotics
telomere length
HbA1c
hs-CRP
title Multistrain Probiotics and Telomere Length in Type 2 Diabetes: A 24-Week Randomized Controlled Trial
title_full Multistrain Probiotics and Telomere Length in Type 2 Diabetes: A 24-Week Randomized Controlled Trial
title_fullStr Multistrain Probiotics and Telomere Length in Type 2 Diabetes: A 24-Week Randomized Controlled Trial
title_full_unstemmed Multistrain Probiotics and Telomere Length in Type 2 Diabetes: A 24-Week Randomized Controlled Trial
title_short Multistrain Probiotics and Telomere Length in Type 2 Diabetes: A 24-Week Randomized Controlled Trial
title_sort multistrain probiotics and telomere length in type 2 diabetes a 24 week randomized controlled trial
topic type 2 diabetes
probiotics
telomere length
HbA1c
hs-CRP
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/2/311
work_keys_str_mv AT venkatachaithanya multistrainprobioticsandtelomerelengthintype2diabetesa24weekrandomizedcontrolledtrial
AT janardanankumar multistrainprobioticsandtelomerelengthintype2diabetesa24weekrandomizedcontrolledtrial
AT kakithakaravajraveluleela multistrainprobioticsandtelomerelengthintype2diabetesa24weekrandomizedcontrolledtrial
AT habeebalibaig multistrainprobioticsandtelomerelengthintype2diabetesa24weekrandomizedcontrolledtrial
AT mohamedsoliman multistrainprobioticsandtelomerelengthintype2diabetesa24weekrandomizedcontrolledtrial
AT awwadalenezy multistrainprobioticsandtelomerelengthintype2diabetesa24weekrandomizedcontrolledtrial
AT naglaamshalaby multistrainprobioticsandtelomerelengthintype2diabetesa24weekrandomizedcontrolledtrial