Probiotics as technological innovations in psychiatric disorders: patents and research reviews.

2025-04-24
Frontiers in nutrition 12

PubMed: 40342368
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1567097

Study Design

Type: Systematic Review
Methods: patent search performed in the Espacenet patent database; additional search was performed on ClinicalTrials.gov and ScienceDirect

Probiotics have shown promising results in treating anxiety and depression by modulating the gut-brain-microbiota axis using probiotics, which has motivated increasing commercial and academic interest in innovations and the probiotic market. This work explored innovation trends in the use of probiotics in the management of anxiety and depression, through a patent search performed in the Espacenet patent database. To expand the discussion, an additional search was performed on ClinicalTrials.gov and ScienceDirect. Recently probiotic innovations developed were deposited as pharmaceutical products (24.1%), functional foods (20.4%), or both (51.8%). Probiotic strains showed anxiolytic, antidepressant or both effects related to one or more mechanisms including modulation of neurotransmitters (61.1%), neuroendocrine mediators (35.2%) or neuroinflammation and oxidative stress (20.3%). The effects mainly were related to strains of the Lactobacillus (48.1%) and Bifidobacterium (38.9%) genera. In an additional search, 1,945 scientific publications and 11 clinical trials were found. Despite the efficacy observed in preclinical and clinical studies, transitioning from academic discoveries to patented innovations is not always straightforward. This review provides evidence for therapeutic applications of novel probiotic technologies in treating psychiatric disorders. It supports further studies exploring their benefits and highlights the need for greater investment in innovation in this area.

Research Insights

Supplement	Dose	Health Outcome	Effect Type	Effect Size	Source
Bifidobacterium longum BL03	—	Reduced Anxiety	Beneficial	Moderate	View source Probiotic strains showed anxiolytic, antidepressant or both effects...
Bifidobacterium longum BL03	—	Reduced Depression Symptoms	Beneficial	Moderate	View source Probiotic strains showed anxiolytic, antidepressant or both effects related to one or more mechanisms...
Lactobacillus casei LC86	—	Reduced Anxiety	Beneficial	Moderate	View source Probiotic strains showed anxiolytic, antidepressant or both effects...
Lactobacillus casei LC86	—	Reduced Depression Symptoms	Beneficial	Moderate	View source Probiotic strains showed anxiolytic, antidepressant or both effects related to one or more mechanisms...