REVIEW article
Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Neurodegeneration
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1598011
This article is part of the Research TopicThe Role of Glial Cells in the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Alzheimer's DiseaseView all 7 articles
The role of probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics: Cellular and molecular pathways activated on glial cells in Alzheimer's Disease
Provisionally accepted
Aleidy Patricio-Martínez1,2*
Felipe Patricio2,3
Edgar Macuil-Chapuli1,2
Enoc Álvaro Martínez-Juárez1,2
Steven Flores-Díaz1,2María Lilia Cedillo-Ramírez4
Ilhuicamina Daniel Limón2*- 1Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
- 2Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología-Facultad de Ciencias Químicas-Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
- 3Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Tecamachalco, Puebla, Mexico
- 4Centro de Detección Biomolecular, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
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Supplementation with prebiotics and probiotics can modulate the intestinal microbiota, returning it to a more physiological state; therefore, they can be considered as a possible treatment in many prevalent conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60% to 70% of cases. The neuropathological features of AD include neuritic plaques (extracellular deposits of the beta-amyloid protein, Aβ), neurofibrillary tangles (resulting from hyperphosphorylation of the tau protein), a predominantly cholinergic synaptic decrease, and the presence of inflammatory markers, all these characteristics together trigger the neurodegenerative process and cognitive deterioration. The etiology of AD is multifactorial, however, in recent years evidence has been shown on the significant association between dysbiosis, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration. In the present review, we will discuss the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of AD, as well as the underlying mechanisms that trigger the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics in neuroinflammation. Our attention will focus on the cellular and molecular mechanisms triggered by astrocytes and microglia, cells involved in mediating neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in AD.
Keywords: prebiotic, probiotic, Postbiotic, glial cells, Neuroinflammation, Alzheimer's disease
Received: 22 Mar 2025; Accepted: 10 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Patricio-Martínez, Patricio, Macuil-Chapuli, Martínez-Juárez, Flores-Díaz, Cedillo-Ramírez and Limón. 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:
Aleidy Patricio-Martínez, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
Ilhuicamina Daniel Limón, Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología-Facultad de Ciencias Químicas-Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.