Approach of probiotics in mental health as a psychobiotics

Abstract

Probiotics are those beneficial microbes that confer various health benefits to humans when integrated in diet in adequate amount. They possess vital metabolites having nutritional and therapeutic properties which provide countless health benefits. Scientific discoveries demonstrated that these living microbial consortiums may exert impact on anxiety, depression, cognitive functions, stress responses and behaviours. Those probiotics that controls the functioning or actions of central nervous system (CNS) conciliated by the gut brain axis (GBA) through neural, humoral and metabolic pathways to ameliorate the gastrointestinal activity as well as anti-depressant and anxiolytic capacity are known as psychobiotics. Few evidences have confirmed the remedial effects of psychobiotics against neurological conditions or disorders. So, therapeutic approach of psychobiotics leads to the future possibilities in the development field for researchers. This review article describes the potential role and mechanism of action of psychobiotics.