Evaluation of ProLife 10 FORTE on Gut Microbiota Composition in UC Patients

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, idiopathic inflammatory disease that affects the colon. It is characterized by relapsing and remitting mucosal inflammation, and it can either affect only the rectum or extend along the colon. It is known that the gut microbiota also affects UC pathology. When its composition is altered, some microbiota-dependent mechanisms may be lost, resulting in an unbalanced relationship with the host: this condition is known with the name dysbiosis.Differences in gut microbiome composition and function have been associated with a variety of chronic diseases ranging from gastrointestinal inflammatory and metabolic conditions to neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory illnesses.

Some trials have already been performed to understand if probiotics can also help in the UC management. For what concerns the human population, the literature contains many studies performed to evaluate the effect of different products on active or remitting disease. Most of the available literature is related to the use of a multiple-strain probiotic demonstrated that probiotic strains led to remission in some UC patients, with significant improvement in rectal bleeding and stool frequency, mucosal appearance, and clinical evaluation.

Prolife 10 FORTE has already been tested by our team to evaluate its composition and its ability to reach the gut, with positive results (unpublished data). Our team has performed the Shotgun analysis of the Prolife 10 FORTE that has confirmed the presence of all 10 strains of probiotics. The metabolic parameters of the product were also analyzed, highlighting a potential enrichment in the production of SCFA and in the fermentative pathways' degradation of starches, the biosynthesis of deoxyribonucleotides, and vitamins B2, B9, K, etc...

Thus, considering these positive premises, we now want to verify if Prolife 10 FORTE could improve the Gut Microbiota composition of UC patients during the remission phase.

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of UC confirmed by clinical, endoscopic, and histopathological evidence. Disease in remission phase confirmed by clinical, endoscopic, and histopathological evidence.
• Age between 18 and 75 years old.
• Ability of the subject to participate fully in all aspects of this clinical trial.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with active UC are determined by clinical, endoscopic, and histopathological evidence.
• Known diagnosis of CD, indeterminate colitis, ischemic colitis, radiation colitis, diverticular disease associated with colitis or microscopic colitis.
• Positive stool culture for active C. difficile.
• Pregnant women.
• Allergy to soy or fructose (contained in Prolife 10 FORTE)
• Patients under antibiotic and/or probiotic treatment within 10 days before visit1.