Clinical benefits of Bifidobacterium infantis YLGB-1496 in modulating gut microbiota and immunity in young children.

2026-01-05
Frontiers in nutrition 12
- Mageswaran Uma Mageswary
- Pin Li
- Rocky Vester Richmond
- Yusof Azianey
- Intan Juliana Abd Hamid
- Fahisham Taib
- Min-Tze Liong
- Adli Ali
- Joo Shun Tan
- Yumei Zhang

PubMed: 41561177
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1713135

Study Design

Type: Clinical Trial
Population: 119 healthy preschool children
Methods: This 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of Bifidobacterium infantis YLGB-1496 (1 × 1010 CFU/day)

Introduction

The early-life gut microbiota is critical for immune development and long-term health, and plays an essential role in the digestion and metabolism of dietary components, including human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). Probiotic supplementation is a promising strategy to modulate this ecosystem and prevent common childhood infectious illnesses, though strain-specific effects require further investigation.

Method

This 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of Bifidobacterium infantis YLGB-1496 (1 × 1010 CFU/day) in 119 healthy preschool children. Participants were assessed for respiratory and gastrointestinal (GI) illness incidence, inflammatory biomarkers (fecal IgA, cytokines, calprotectin; salivary cortisol), and gut microbiota composition via 16S rRNA sequencing.

Result

Probiotic supplementation significantly reduced the incidence of respiratory problems as compared to the placebo group (Week 12: 15.0 vs. 42.4%, p < 0.001) and diarrhea (Week 6: 18.3 vs. 44.1%, p = 0.002), alongside fewer clinical visits and antibiotic prescriptions (p < 0.01 for all). Immunologically, the probiotic group exhibited a favorable anti-inflammatory profile with reduced levels of fecal IFN-γ, IL-1β, and calprotectin, and a trend toward increased fecal IgA over time as compared to the placebo group. Microbiota analysis revealed that the probiotic did not induce major restructuring but provided ecological stability, preventing the and preserving beneficial SCFA producing genera that declined in the placebo group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

B. infantis YLGB-1496 is an effective probiotic that reduces the burden of common childhood infectious illnesses by fine-tuning immune responses and enhancing the resilience of the gut microbial ecosystem, rather than through drastic compositional changes. These findings support its use as a safe nutritional intervention for promoting pediatric health.

Clinical trial registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05794815?term=NCT05794815&rank=1, identifier number: NCT05794815.

Research Insights

Bifidobacterium infantis→Improved Stability of Gut Microbiota
the probiotic did not induce major restructuring but provided ecological stability, preventing the and preserving beneficial SCFA producing genera that declined in the placebo group (p < 0.05).
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Bifidobacterium infantis→Reduced Diarrhea Incidence
and diarrhea (Week 6: 18.3 vs. 44.1%, p = 0.002)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Large
Bifidobacterium infantis→Reduced Gastrointestinal Inflammation
the probiotic group exhibited a favorable anti-inflammatory profile with reduced levels of fecal IFN-γ, IL-1β, and calprotectin, and a trend toward increased fecal IgA over time as compared to the placebo group.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Bifidobacterium infantis→Reduced Healthcare Costs
alongside fewer clinical visits and antibiotic prescriptions (p < 0.01 for all)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Bifidobacterium infantis→Reduced Respiratory Infections
Probiotic supplementation significantly reduced the incidence of respiratory problems as compared to the placebo group (Week 12: 15.0 vs. 42.4%, p < 0.001)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Large