Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (526 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Live microbial dietary supplements which beneficially affect the host animal by improving its intestinal microbial balance. Antibiotics and other related compounds are not included in this definition. In humans, lactobacilli are commonly used as probiotics, either as single species or in mixed culture with other bacteria. Other genera that have been used are bifidobacteria and streptococci. (J. Nutr. 1995;125:1401-12)
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Probiotic.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Dietary Supplements
- Narrower topics
- Synbiotics
Related concepts
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 34,964 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Probiotics” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 17,567 of them (50.2%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2020 onward with 17,567 records.
Reviews account for 9,781 records (28.0%) and meta-analyses for 1,177. Randomized controlled trials number 3,678 (10.5%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up a comparatively large share of this literature, which means many treatment questions have been tested directly.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 0 |
| 2000-2009 | 4,934 |
| 2010-2019 | 12,654 |
| 2020 onward | 17,567 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 9,781 | 28.0% |
| Meta-analyses | 1,177 | 3.4% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 3,678 | 10.5% |
Method: PubMed query "Probiotics"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niche exclusion of a lung pathogen in mice with designed probiotic communities | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc0 PMID 42550883 · DOI · PMC13436956 |
| Effect of pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila MucT on insulin sensitivity, body composition, and GLP-1 production in subjects with metabolic syndrome: impact of low baseline gut Akkermansia levels | 2026 | Randomized controlled trial Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 42343233 · DOI · PMC13313273 |
| Probiotics Cancer Interaction, Prevention, and Therapy | 2026 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 42136123 · DOI · PMC13176637 |
Niche exclusion of a lung pathogen in mice with designed probiotic communities [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- For years, the airway microbiota have been theorized to be gatekeepers of respiratory health, as pathogens entering the airway make contact with resident microbes prior to or coincident with their interaction with host cells.
- Closing excerpt
- This work serves as a foundation for the rational design of probiotic communities for protection against and treatment of respiratory infections.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (144 words)
For years, the airway microbiota have been theorized to be gatekeepers of respiratory health, as pathogens entering the airway make contact with resident microbes prior to or coincident with their interaction with host cells. Thus, modification of the native airway community may serve as a means of altering the local environment in favor of health. In this work, we hypothesize that synthetic bacterial communities introduced into the airway can serve as prophylactic countermeasures against infection by Burkholderia thailandensis in mice. We demonstrate that understanding of antagonistic interactions between a pathogen and airway microbiota in vitro can guide identification of probiotics with protective capabilities in vivo. Specifically, we show that niche overlap between the probiotic and pathogen is indicative of probiotic performance in vivo. This work serves as a foundation for the rational design of probiotic communities for protection against and treatment of respiratory infections.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc0 licence; © the authors. PMID 42550883 · DOI · PMC13436956
Effect of pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila MucT on insulin sensitivity, body composition, and GLP-1 production in subjects with metabolic syndrome: impact of low baseline gut Akkermansia levels [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila MucT was found to improve barrier function in preclinical models and a proof-of-concept study in obese and prediabetic adults.
- Closing excerpt
- gov.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (220 words)
Pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila MucT was found to improve barrier function in preclinical models and a proof-of-concept study in obese and prediabetic adults. Here, we describe the results of a double-blind placebo-controlled multicenter (Ireland and Germany) trial in 142 adults with metabolic syndrome, with or without prediabetes. The primary endpoint of whole-body insulin sensitivity (Matsuda index) did not differ after 4-months of daily administration of capsules containing 30 billion cells of pasteurized A. muciniphila MucT compared to placebo in the intention-to-treat subjects. Subsequent exploratory analyses showed that 3-months intake of pasteurized A. muciniphila MucT already improved HOMA-based hepatic insulin sensitivity in prediabetic (12%; p = 0.05) and 63-y-or-older-age subgroups (p = 0.05) while increasing post-OGTT excursion of the insulinotropic hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) over placebo (p Akkermansia gene counts experienced significant health improvements and GLP-1 excursion after 3-months of treatment with pasteurized A. muciniphila MucT over the placebo. These benefits included improved insulin sensitivity (as shown by Matsuda and HOMA-S indices) and GLP-1 excursion (post-OGTT) (p p = 0.06) and decreased trunk fat (p A. muciniphila MucT has the potential to improve health markers in overweight or obese normo- or dysglycemic adults with the most significant improvements in subjects with low baseline intestinal Akkermansia levels, who are apparently truly in need of this intervention. Clinical trial registration no.: NCT05114018 clinicaltrials.gov.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42343233 · DOI · PMC13313273
Probiotics Cancer Interaction, Prevention, and Therapy [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Cancer is a significant global health concern and ranks as the second most common cause of death on a worldwide scale.
- Closing excerpt
- This current comprehensive review underscores the need for innovative strategies to enhance cancer prevention and treatment, focusing on integrating probiotics into therapeutic approaches to mitigate the adverse effects of conventional cancer therapies, improve patient outcomes, and prevent cancer.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (162 words)
Cancer is a significant global health concern and ranks as the second most common cause of death on a worldwide scale. A combination of hereditary and lifestyle variables, such as diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical exercise, and the gut microbiota, impacts cancer development. Dysbiosis, an imbalance in gut microorganisms, can promote cancer. Conversely, probiotics have the potential to enhance gut health and restore immunological equilibrium. Prior research has demonstrated that probiotics exert a beneficial influence on gastrointestinal health and immunological function. Probiotics perform these beneficial actions by changing the kinds of bacteria that live in the gut, altering metabolic function, breaking down chemicals that cause cancer, enhancing the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors, reducing inflammation, and stopping the production of compounds that cause cancer. This current comprehensive review underscores the need for innovative strategies to enhance cancer prevention and treatment, focusing on integrating probiotics into therapeutic approaches to mitigate the adverse effects of conventional cancer therapies, improve patient outcomes, and prevent cancer.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42136123 · DOI · PMC13176637
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Probiotics improve renal function, glucose, lipids, inflammation and oxidative stress in diabetic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis [4]
- Research article Efficacy of Probiotics in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis [5]
- Research article Effect of prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics on depression: results from a meta-analysis [6]
- Research article Probiotics, Prebiotics, Lactoferrin, and Combination Products for Prevention of Mortality and Morbidity in Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis [7]
- Research article The effects of probiotics supplementation on glycaemic control among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials [8]
- Research article Efficacy of Probiotics for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis [9]
References
- Hern KE, Phillips AM, Mageeney CM, Williams KP, Sinha A, Carlson HK, et al.. Niche exclusion of a lung pathogen in mice with designed probiotic communities. . 2026. PMID 42550883 · DOI · PMC13436956
- Suenaert P, Segers A, Rymenans L, Devroye H, Moll JM, Cani PD, et al.. Effect of pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila MucT on insulin sensitivity, body composition, and GLP-1 production in subjects with metabolic syndrome: impact of low baseline gut Akkermansia levels. . 2026. PMID 42343233 · DOI · PMC13313273
- Saebi M, Barjasteh AH, Mahmoudi M, Kheder RK, Ramazanpour S, Ebadpour N, et al.. Probiotics Cancer Interaction, Prevention, and Therapy. . 2026. PMID 42136123 · DOI · PMC13176637
- Dai Y, Quan J, Xiong L, Luo Y, Yi B. Probiotics improve renal function, glucose, lipids, inflammation and oxidative stress in diabetic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ren Fail. 2022. PMID 35611435 · DOI · PMC9154786
- Goodoory VC, Khasawneh M, Black CJ, Quigley EMM, Moayyedi P, Ford AC. Efficacy of Probiotics in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Gastroenterology. 2023. PMID 37541528 · DOI
- Zhang Q, Chen B, Zhang J, Dong J, Ma J, Zhang Y, et al.. Effect of prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics on depression: results from a meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry. 2023. PMID 37386630 · DOI · PMC10308754
- Wang Y, Florez ID, Morgan RL, Foroutan F, Chang Y, Crandon HN, et al.. Probiotics, Prebiotics, Lactoferrin, and Combination Products for Prevention of Mortality and Morbidity in Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2023. PMID 37782505 · DOI · PMC10546299
- Li G, Feng H, Mao XL, Deng YJ, Wang XB, Zhang Q, et al.. The effects of probiotics supplementation on glycaemic control among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. J Transl Med. 2023. PMID 37415167 · DOI · PMC10324246
- Zhang T, Zhang C, Zhang J, Sun F, Duan L. Efficacy of Probiotics for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022. PMID 35433498 · DOI · PMC9010660
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.