Efficacy of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) supplement in management of constipation among nursing home residents

Nineteen subjects (8M, 11F; mean age 77.1 ± 10.1) suffering with chronic constipation were assigned to receive LAB (3.0 × 1011 CFU/g) twice (to be taken 30 minutes after breakfast and dinner) a day for 2 weeks in November 2008. Subjects draw up a questionnaire on defecation habits (frequency of defecation, amount and state of stool), and we collected fecal samples from the subjects both before entering and after ending the trial, to investigate LAB levels and inhibition of harmful enzyme activities. Results were tested with SAS and Student's t-test.Analysis of questionnaire showed that there was an increase in the frequency of defecation and amount of stool excreted in defecation habit after LAB treatment, but there were no significant changes. And it also affects the intestinal environment, through significantly increase (p < 0.05) fecal LAB levels. In addition, tryptophanase and urease among harmful enzyme activities of intestinal microflora were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) after LAB treatment.LAB, when added to the standard treatment regimen for nursing home residents with chronic constipation, increased defecation habit such as frequency of defecation, amount and state of stool. So, it may be used as functional probiotics to improve human health by helping to prevent constipation.Constipation is prevalent in modern societies and is a common symptom in clinical practice [1].Constipation involves the large intestine and is a symptom rather than a disease. It is characterized by a constellation of symptoms and complaints, the most common of which are low defecation frequency (e.g. less than 3/week), irregular stool expulsion, painful and strained defecation, hard and dry stool consistency, a feeling of incomplete rectal defecation, and passing of abnormally small stools (e.g. less than 50 g/day) [2].The prevalence of constipation and its impact on quality of life are most significant among elderly individuals, with a reported incidence among ambulatory adult