Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of synbiotics in the treatment of chronic functional constipation (CFC) and changes to intestinal flora before and after treatment.
Methods: Twenty-four patients with CFC who attended the Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, between July 2016 and March 2017 were selected as study subjects. Fresh stool samples were collected from the before and after one month of synbiotics treatment. The samples were tested using 16S rRNA bacterial detection technology to identify intestinal flora. A differential analysis of flora before and after treatment was conducted. Bowel habits and complications were compared before and after treatment.
Results: After 1 month of synbiotic treatment, the frequency of defecation was significantly higher than before treatment, with fewer complications such as abdominal distension, loss of appetite, anxiety, laxative dependence. The intestinal microbiota of CFC patients was significantly altered at the genus level after treatment. In detail, the abundance of Faecalibacterium, Prevotella_9, Subdoligranulum, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-002, Bacillus, Roseburia, Pseudobutyrivibrio, Enterobacteriaceae _unclassified, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014 and Eubacterium coprostanoligenes was greater after treatment. Bacteroides, Christensenellaceae_R-7 group, Alistipes, Parabacteroides, Escherichia-Shigella, Blautia, Lachnoclostridium, Phascolarctobacterium, Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG-003, Ruminococcus_2 and Dialister bacteria were decreased after treatment.
Conclusion: Synbiotic treatment increases the frequency of defecation and improves the intestinal bacteria structure in CFC patients, making it a promising therapeutic strategy.