Efficacy of novel activated bamboo charcoal in reducing uremic toxins and enhancing kidney function in chronic kidney disease patients: a pilot randomized controlled trial
Background The role of uremic toxins in the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and novel treatments to mitigate their effects are critical areas of research. This pilot study investigated the efficacy of a novel activated bamboo charcoal and/or probiotics in reducing uremic toxins and impro...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
PeerJ Inc.
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | PeerJ |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/19007.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850051876716806144 |
|---|---|
| author | Kuo-Chin Hung Mei-Yueh Lee Shih-Yuan Hung Chiao-Yin Sun Chau-Chung Wu Cheng-Jui Lin |
| author_facet | Kuo-Chin Hung Mei-Yueh Lee Shih-Yuan Hung Chiao-Yin Sun Chau-Chung Wu Cheng-Jui Lin |
| author_sort | Kuo-Chin Hung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background The role of uremic toxins in the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and novel treatments to mitigate their effects are critical areas of research. This pilot study investigated the efficacy of a novel activated bamboo charcoal and/or probiotics in reducing uremic toxins and improving renal function in CKD patients. Methods This prospective, randomized, open, blinded end-point (PROBE) study included patients with stage 3 CKD. Patients were randomly assigned to one of four groups: activated bamboo charcoal (ABC), probiotics, ABC with probiotics, or standard treatment for 3 months. Results A total of 46 patients were enrolled (mean age 66.7 ± 11.5 years, 71.7% male). The ABC and ABC with probiotics groups showed a significant reduction in serum levels of the uremic toxins trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), p-cresyl sulfate (PCS), indoxyl sulfate (IS), and phenyl sulfate (PS) after 3 months of treatment (all p < 0.05). There was a particularly pronounced decrease in the percentage of IS in both the ABC group (−23.9 ± 28.9% vs. 33.9 ± 63.4%, p = 0.005) and the ABC with probiotics group (−29.3 ± 30.6% vs. 33.9 ± 63.4%, p = 0.009). The eGFR change ratio also significantly improved in the ABC group compared to the control group (4.6 ± 10.2% vs. −8.6 ± 12.5%, p = 0.011). However, the probiotics group did not exhibit a similar reduction in uremic toxins or an improvement in the eGFR. Conclusion This study suggested that ABC significantly reduced uremic toxins and might have potential in improving eGFR in CKD stage 3 patients over a 3-month period. These findings suggest a potential protective effect of ABC on kidney function, highlighting the need for further large-scale, long-term randomized controlled trials to confirm these results. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e937412dc7c34581904c257d06ee9939 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj-art-e937412dc7c34581904c257d06ee99392025-08-20T02:52:59ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592025-03-0113e1900710.7717/peerj.19007Efficacy of novel activated bamboo charcoal in reducing uremic toxins and enhancing kidney function in chronic kidney disease patients: a pilot randomized controlled trialKuo-Chin Hung0Mei-Yueh Lee1Shih-Yuan Hung2Chiao-Yin Sun3Chau-Chung Wu4Cheng-Jui Lin5Min-Sheng General Hospital, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Taoyuan City, TaiwanDepartment of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Gangshan Hospital, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kaohsiung, TaiwanE-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung, TaiwanChang Gung Memorial Hospital, Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keelung, TaiwanNational Taiwan University Hospital, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei, Alberta, TaiwanMackay Memorial Hospital, Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei, TaiwanBackground The role of uremic toxins in the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and novel treatments to mitigate their effects are critical areas of research. This pilot study investigated the efficacy of a novel activated bamboo charcoal and/or probiotics in reducing uremic toxins and improving renal function in CKD patients. Methods This prospective, randomized, open, blinded end-point (PROBE) study included patients with stage 3 CKD. Patients were randomly assigned to one of four groups: activated bamboo charcoal (ABC), probiotics, ABC with probiotics, or standard treatment for 3 months. Results A total of 46 patients were enrolled (mean age 66.7 ± 11.5 years, 71.7% male). The ABC and ABC with probiotics groups showed a significant reduction in serum levels of the uremic toxins trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), p-cresyl sulfate (PCS), indoxyl sulfate (IS), and phenyl sulfate (PS) after 3 months of treatment (all p < 0.05). There was a particularly pronounced decrease in the percentage of IS in both the ABC group (−23.9 ± 28.9% vs. 33.9 ± 63.4%, p = 0.005) and the ABC with probiotics group (−29.3 ± 30.6% vs. 33.9 ± 63.4%, p = 0.009). The eGFR change ratio also significantly improved in the ABC group compared to the control group (4.6 ± 10.2% vs. −8.6 ± 12.5%, p = 0.011). However, the probiotics group did not exhibit a similar reduction in uremic toxins or an improvement in the eGFR. Conclusion This study suggested that ABC significantly reduced uremic toxins and might have potential in improving eGFR in CKD stage 3 patients over a 3-month period. These findings suggest a potential protective effect of ABC on kidney function, highlighting the need for further large-scale, long-term randomized controlled trials to confirm these results.https://peerj.com/articles/19007.pdfActivated bamboo charcoalProbioticsChronic kidney diseaseIndoxyl sulphatep-Cresyl sulfateTMAO |
| spellingShingle | Kuo-Chin Hung Mei-Yueh Lee Shih-Yuan Hung Chiao-Yin Sun Chau-Chung Wu Cheng-Jui Lin Efficacy of novel activated bamboo charcoal in reducing uremic toxins and enhancing kidney function in chronic kidney disease patients: a pilot randomized controlled trial PeerJ Activated bamboo charcoal Probiotics Chronic kidney disease Indoxyl sulphate p-Cresyl sulfate TMAO |
| title | Efficacy of novel activated bamboo charcoal in reducing uremic toxins and enhancing kidney function in chronic kidney disease patients: a pilot randomized controlled trial |
| title_full | Efficacy of novel activated bamboo charcoal in reducing uremic toxins and enhancing kidney function in chronic kidney disease patients: a pilot randomized controlled trial |
| title_fullStr | Efficacy of novel activated bamboo charcoal in reducing uremic toxins and enhancing kidney function in chronic kidney disease patients: a pilot randomized controlled trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Efficacy of novel activated bamboo charcoal in reducing uremic toxins and enhancing kidney function in chronic kidney disease patients: a pilot randomized controlled trial |
| title_short | Efficacy of novel activated bamboo charcoal in reducing uremic toxins and enhancing kidney function in chronic kidney disease patients: a pilot randomized controlled trial |
| title_sort | efficacy of novel activated bamboo charcoal in reducing uremic toxins and enhancing kidney function in chronic kidney disease patients a pilot randomized controlled trial |
| topic | Activated bamboo charcoal Probiotics Chronic kidney disease Indoxyl sulphate p-Cresyl sulfate TMAO |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/19007.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kuochinhung efficacyofnovelactivatedbamboocharcoalinreducinguremictoxinsandenhancingkidneyfunctioninchronickidneydiseasepatientsapilotrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT meiyuehlee efficacyofnovelactivatedbamboocharcoalinreducinguremictoxinsandenhancingkidneyfunctioninchronickidneydiseasepatientsapilotrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT shihyuanhung efficacyofnovelactivatedbamboocharcoalinreducinguremictoxinsandenhancingkidneyfunctioninchronickidneydiseasepatientsapilotrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT chiaoyinsun efficacyofnovelactivatedbamboocharcoalinreducinguremictoxinsandenhancingkidneyfunctioninchronickidneydiseasepatientsapilotrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT chauchungwu efficacyofnovelactivatedbamboocharcoalinreducinguremictoxinsandenhancingkidneyfunctioninchronickidneydiseasepatientsapilotrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT chengjuilin efficacyofnovelactivatedbamboocharcoalinreducinguremictoxinsandenhancingkidneyfunctioninchronickidneydiseasepatientsapilotrandomizedcontrolledtrial |