Page 197 - Petelin, Ana. 2021. Ed. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
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led to significantly increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) the gut microbiota in the elderly 195
levels in humans, while in animals they improved cognitive status and spatial
and non-spatial memory. The most widely used probiotic strains were from
the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, the most commonly used spe-
cies were L. acidophilus, B. bifidum and B. longum (Ruiz-Gonzalez et al., 2021).
In addition to probiotic interventions, studies with germ-free animals,
antibiotic interventions, microbial infections and faecal microbiota transplan-
tation have been used to determine the role of the gut microbiota on cognition
and AD. Studies on germ-free mice and disruption of the gut microbiota after
antibiotic treatment in humans induce cognitive impairment and decreased
BDNF levels in the brain (Jiang et al., 2017). Transfer and transplantation of the
faecal microbiota from healthy mice into mice with AD ameliorated the for-
mation of Aβ plaques and cognitive impairment and reversed abnormalities in
the colonic expression of genes related to intestinal macrophage activity (Kim
et al., 2020). It’s important to consider the intervention targets on the intesti-
nal microbiota and the immune system in humans may differ among elderly
groups from different environments or geographical locations (Salazar et al.,
2017). Despite interventions with probiotics, other strategies have been largely
unstudied in humans (Ruiz-Gonzalez et al., 2021).
Conclusions
Nutritional strategies for the elderly should consider the nutritional deficien-
cies and needs that differ from the needs in the adult life, but also the gut mi-
crobiota, the immune system and cognitive function. Gut microbiota profil-
ing offers the potential for biomarker-based identification of individuals at risk
for unhealthy aging and could be used as diagnostic criteria for AD. More re-
search is still needed to better understand the changes in gut microbiota over
the lifespan, its link to dietary changes and associated pathologies and to clari-
fy whether a stable gut microbiota modification could be obtained and its long-
term effects on frailty and cognitive decline.
References
AKBARI, E., ASEMI, Z., DANESHVAR KAKHAKI, R., Bahmani, F., Koucha-
ki, E., Tamtaji, O. R., Hamidi, G. A. and Salami, M., 2016. Effect of Pro-
biotic Supplementation on Cognitive Function and Metabolic Status in
Alzheimer’s Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blind and Controlled Trial.
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, vol. 8, pp. 256. https://doi.org/10.3389/
fnagi.2016.00256
Angelucci, F., Cechova, K., Amlerova, J. and Hort, J., 2019. Antibiotics, gut mi-
crobiota, and Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Neuroinflammation, vol. 16,
no. 1, pp. 108. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-019-1494-4
Botchway, B. O. A., Moore, M. K., Akinleye, F. O., Iyer, I. C. and Fang, M., 2018.
Nutrition: Review on the Possible Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease.
levels in humans, while in animals they improved cognitive status and spatial
and non-spatial memory. The most widely used probiotic strains were from
the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, the most commonly used spe-
cies were L. acidophilus, B. bifidum and B. longum (Ruiz-Gonzalez et al., 2021).
In addition to probiotic interventions, studies with germ-free animals,
antibiotic interventions, microbial infections and faecal microbiota transplan-
tation have been used to determine the role of the gut microbiota on cognition
and AD. Studies on germ-free mice and disruption of the gut microbiota after
antibiotic treatment in humans induce cognitive impairment and decreased
BDNF levels in the brain (Jiang et al., 2017). Transfer and transplantation of the
faecal microbiota from healthy mice into mice with AD ameliorated the for-
mation of Aβ plaques and cognitive impairment and reversed abnormalities in
the colonic expression of genes related to intestinal macrophage activity (Kim
et al., 2020). It’s important to consider the intervention targets on the intesti-
nal microbiota and the immune system in humans may differ among elderly
groups from different environments or geographical locations (Salazar et al.,
2017). Despite interventions with probiotics, other strategies have been largely
unstudied in humans (Ruiz-Gonzalez et al., 2021).
Conclusions
Nutritional strategies for the elderly should consider the nutritional deficien-
cies and needs that differ from the needs in the adult life, but also the gut mi-
crobiota, the immune system and cognitive function. Gut microbiota profil-
ing offers the potential for biomarker-based identification of individuals at risk
for unhealthy aging and could be used as diagnostic criteria for AD. More re-
search is still needed to better understand the changes in gut microbiota over
the lifespan, its link to dietary changes and associated pathologies and to clari-
fy whether a stable gut microbiota modification could be obtained and its long-
term effects on frailty and cognitive decline.
References
AKBARI, E., ASEMI, Z., DANESHVAR KAKHAKI, R., Bahmani, F., Koucha-
ki, E., Tamtaji, O. R., Hamidi, G. A. and Salami, M., 2016. Effect of Pro-
biotic Supplementation on Cognitive Function and Metabolic Status in
Alzheimer’s Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blind and Controlled Trial.
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, vol. 8, pp. 256. https://doi.org/10.3389/
fnagi.2016.00256
Angelucci, F., Cechova, K., Amlerova, J. and Hort, J., 2019. Antibiotics, gut mi-
crobiota, and Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Neuroinflammation, vol. 16,
no. 1, pp. 108. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-019-1494-4
Botchway, B. O. A., Moore, M. K., Akinleye, F. O., Iyer, I. C. and Fang, M., 2018.
Nutrition: Review on the Possible Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease.
