ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Intestinal Microbiome
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1631663
This article is part of the Research TopicExploring Exopolysaccharides: Probiotic Pathways from Gut to Brain HealthView all articles
Clostridium butyricum and Bifidobacterium modulate gut microbiota composition and improve cognitive function in preterm mice
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Paediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- 2Department of Paediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
- 3Institute of Public Health Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- 4School of resources and environmental engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
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Preterm infants often exhibit gut dysbiosis and neurodevelopmental impairments, with evidence suggesting a crucial role of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in early development. To investigate whether probiotic intervention could improve these outcomes, we examined the effects of live Clostridium butyricum and Bifidobacterium combined powder(LCBBCP) on gut microbiota diversity, spatial memory, and anxiety in preterm mice. We established a preterm mouse model divided into three groups: preterm experimental, preterm control, and full-term control (n=21 each). The preterm experimental group received LCBBCP oral gavage, while controls received saline. Gut microbiota analysis through 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed higher richness and evenness at postnatal day 21(P21) than postnatal day 14 (P14) across all groups, with preterm controls showing significantly lower microbial diversity at P14 compared to full-term controls. The preterm control group exhibited elevated levels of Enterobacteriaceae, Ruminococcaceae, Streptococcaceae, and Gemellaceae at P14, while Lactobacillaceae levels were higher in full-term control and preterm experimental groups at both timepoints. Behavioral tests showed that preterm experimental mice performed better than preterm controls in spatial memory tasks and displayed reduced anxiety-like behaviors, although not reaching full-term control levels. The preterm control group showed significantly reduced movement, slower speed, and increased resting time in open field tests. These findings demonstrate that LCBBCP intervention enhanced microbial diversity, improved spatial learning, and alleviated anxiety-like behaviors in preterm mice, likely through reducing Enterobacteriaceae and promoting Lactobacillaceae, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for preterm-related complications.
Keywords: Preterm mice, Clostridium butyricum and Bifidobacterium, Gut Microbiota, Spatial memory and anxiety, Microbiota-gut-brain axis
Received: 20 May 2025; Accepted: 05 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Qin, Li, Zang, Yang, Song, Chen, Xu and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Guifeng Xu, Department of Paediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Shifa Zhang, Department of Paediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
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