Abstract
Purpose. To assess the potential impact of probiotic and/or honey supplements on intestinal permeability among Egyptian children.
Design. A randomized nutritional supplementation trial with a duration period of 42 days.
Methods. Twenty‐four free‐living children of both genders (aged 10.6 years) were divided into four equal groups and received one of the following supplements: Lactobacillus acidophilus (L1a) in a yoghurt matrix to provide 1012 cfu subject−1 day−1; high‐quality honey with a daily serving of 50 g; a combination of L1a and honey; a control. To assess intestinal permeability, 5‐hour urine collections were obtained from each subject following the ingestion of a solution (2 ml kg−1 body weight) containing 200 mg of lactulose and 50 mg of mannitol after an overnight fast. Urinary lactulose and mannitol were determined by gas–liquid mass spectrometry.
Results. Initially, the subjects excreted a mean urinary lactulose/mannitol ratio (L/M; percentage of the administered dosage) of 4.18±0.25 (range 1.93–6.22). The 6‐week nutrition supplements with the probiotic, alone or in combination with the honey, were associated with a significant reduction in the mean urinary L/M excreted among the respective children.
Conclusion. The probiotic supplement has the potential to restore the integrity of the gut barrier function among Egyptian children with higher intestinal permeability and lower absorptive capacity.