Findings from an RCT conducted at Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China, demonstrated that BC99 intervention can regulate the imbalance of intestinal flora, which can alleviate inflammation and mitigate alcohol-induced liver damage.
“In summary, the findings in this study demonstrate that BC99 intervention can effectively improve liver function and renal function in long-term alcohol drinkers, and that it also has a good regulatory effect on inflammatory factors,” wrote researchers in Nutrients.
“BC99 may improve the digestive system and alleviate alcohol-induced damage by regulating the occurrence of inflammatory oxidative stress. This provides a basis for further exploration of the mechanism of action of BC99 in the treatment of alcohol-induced liver injury,” researchers added.
Managing alcohol liver disease
Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) caused by long-term drinking is common globally.
Most long-term drinkers have difficulty abstaining from alcohol, and modern treatment methods have significant side effects. There is therefore a need to explore effective methods to protect the liver from alcohol damage.
Research shows there is a close relationship between liver metabolism and intestinal flora. Studies on other probiotic strains, such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus have also shown potential in improving liver function in previous studies, but less is known about BC99.
Weizmannia coagulans BC99 probiotic has been reported to have the ability to relieve inflammation and oxidative stress, suggesting its potential in the treatment of alcoholic liver injury. Previous studies were carried out in vitro and in animals, but their effectiveness in relieving alcoholism and protecting the liver in the clinic has not been fully explored.
To explore the effects of BC99 on long-term drinkers, researchers conducted a 60-day double-blind randomised controlled trial (RCT).
The study
This study involved 70 long-term alcohol drinkers from 18–65 years old, who consumed at least 20 grams alcohol a day for a period of more than one year.
Participants were randomly assigned to either the BC99 group or the placebo group.
The BC99 group was given 3 grams per day with 1 × 1010 CFU BC99, provided by Wecare Probiotics Co., Ltd.
The placebo group was given 3 grams per day of maltodextrin for 60 days.
Before and after the intervention, liver function markers including ALT (alanine aminotransferase), AST (aspartate aminotransferase), TBil (total bilirubin), and γ-GT (gamma-glutamyl transferase) were evaluated.
ALT and AST are enzymes involved in protein metabolism, with elevated levels often signalling liver inflammation or damage. TBil measures bilirubin, a byproduct of red blood cell breakdown, and high levels can indicate impaired liver function. γ-GT plays a role in glutathione metabolism and is commonly used as a marker of liver dysfunction and excessive alcohol consumption.
Renal function, inflammatory factors and intestinal flora were also evaluated at baseline and on day 60.
Results
After 60 days, the study found no significant changes in liver function markers in the placebo group.
However, in the BC99 group, significant improvements were observed. ALT levels decreased from approximately 48 U/L at baseline to 35 U/L after the intervention, with the proportion of participants exhibiting elevated ALT levels dropping from 38.88% to 11.11%.
Similarly, AST levels, which were around 50 U/L before the intervention, fell to 30 U/L, and the percentage of participants with high AST declined from 34.78% to 0%.
A significant reduction was also seen in TBil levels, which decreased from 15.5 μmol/L to 13 μmol/L, indicating improved bilirubin clearance.
The most significant change, however, was observed in γ-GT levels, which dropped from 120 U/L to 75 U/L. Before the intervention, 30.43% of participants had elevated γ-GT levels, but by the end of the study, this number had fallen to 0%, suggesting a strong positive effect on liver function.
These findings indicate that BC99 supplementation may support liver health by significantly lowering key liver enzyme levels, particularly AST and γ-GT, where all participants with elevated levels returned to normal after 60 days.
Notably, the BUN/Cr ratio, a key clinical indicator of acute renal injury and glomerular filtration function, showed a significant decline following BC99 supplementation. The proportion of participants with abnormal BUN/Cr levels dropped from 14 to five, whereas no significant changes were recorded in the placebo group. These findings suggest that BC99 may play a role in supporting renal health by improving markers associated with kidney function.
The study also found that supplementation with BC99 was associated with a notable reduction in inflammation markers over the 60-day intervention period. In the placebo group, for example, levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) remained unchanged, whereas in the BC99 group, hs-CRP levels significantly decreased from 28.18 mg/L to 21.71 mg/L.
As for the intestinal flora analysis, it showed that BC99 regulated the imbalance of intestinal flora, increased the beneficial bacteria abundance (Prevotella, Faecalibacterium and Roseburia) and reduced the conditionally pathogenic bacteria abundance (Escherichia-Shigella and Klebsiella).
Further analysis indicated that the increase in the abundance of Muribaculaceae induced by BC99 was a key factor in alleviating alcohol-induced liver damage, said researchers.
“The potential mechanism by which BC99 effectively regulates clinical indicators may be attributed to its impact on key gut microbiota genera (Muribaculaceae, Prevotella, Faecalibacterium, Escherichia-Shigella, Klebsiella and Roseburia). These results will provide scientific evidence that BC99 intervention can reduce the extent of damage to the liver caused by alcohol intake,” said researchers.
“These findings demonstrate that Weizmannia coagulans BC99 has the potential to alleviate alcoholic liver injury and provide an effective strategy for liver protection in long-term drinkers,” concluded researchers.
“Future research may focus on exploring the deeper mechanisms by which BC99 affects these key bacterial genera or metabolites,” they added.
Source: Nutrients
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17020320
“The Improvement Effects of Weizmannia coagulans BC99 on Liver Function and Gut Microbiota of Long-Term Alcohol Drinkers: A Randomized Double-Blind Clinical Trial”
Authors: Jie Zhang, Cheng Li et al.
