Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37386630›Full record

SynthesisBMC psychiatry2023

Effect of prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics on depression: results from a meta-analysis.

Qin Zhang, Bing Chen, Jinghui Zhang, Jingyi Dong, Jianglin Ma, Yuyan Zhang, Kangyu Jin, Jing Lu

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC psychiatry, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06901739 (New Dietary Intervention Strategies on the Intestinal Microbiota to Improve Mental Health Subjects With Obesity), which is not on this map. Cited by 53 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
53citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
13.1field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06901739 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

New Dietary Intervention Strategies on the Intestinal Microbiota to Improve Mental Health Subjects With Obesity: Therapeutic Potential of a Synbiotic.

TypeinterventionalSponsorCelia BañulsRan2025 to 2027Enrolled120ConditionsObese Patients (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²), Anxiety, Depressive DisorderArmsSynbiotic, Placebo
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

53 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 85 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Qin ZhangFirst Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Bing ChenDepartment of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Jinghui ZhangSchool of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Jingyi DongSchool of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Jianglin MaDepartment of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Yuyan Zhang *School of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China. yannoo7376@sina.com.
Kangyu Jin *Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. jinkangyu@zju.edu.cn.
Jing Lu *Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. lujing2016@zju.edu.cn.
Zhejiang Chinese Medical University · CNFirst Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Accumulating studies have shown the effects of gut microbiota management tools in improving depression. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics on patients with depression. We searched six databases up to July 2022. In total, 13 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 786 participants were included. The overall results demonstrated that patients who received prebiotics, probiotics or synbiotics had significantly improved symptoms of depression compared with those in the placebo group. However, subgroup analysis only confirmed the significant antidepressant effects of agents that contained probiotics. In addition, patients with mild or moderate depression could both benefit from the treatment. Studies with a lower proportion of females reported stronger effects for alleviating depressive symptoms. In conclusion, agents that manipulate gut microbiota might improve mild-to-moderate depression. It is necessary to further investigate the benefits of prebiotic, probiotic and synbiotic treatments relative to antidepressants and follow up with individuals over a longer time before these therapies are implemented in clinical practice.

Indexed as

ProbioticsSynbioticsDatabases, FactualDepressionFemaleHumansMalePrebioticsRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicPrebioticsDepressionGut microbiotaPrebioticsProbioticsSynbiotics

Identifiers

PMID37386630
PMCPMC10308754
OpenAlexW4382630770

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.