Abstract

The human digestive system is embedded with trillions of microbes of various species and genera. These organisms serve several purposes in the human body and exist in symbiosis with the host. Their major role is involved in the digestion and conversion of food materials into many useful substrates for the human body. Apart from this, the gut microbiota also maintains healthy communication with other body parts, including the brain. The connection between gut microbiota and the brain is termed as gut-brain axis (GBA), and these connections are established by neuronal, endocrine and immunological pathways. Thus, they are involved in neurophysiology and neuropathology of several diseases like Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), depression, and autism. There are several food supplements such as prebiotics and probiotics that modulate the composition of gut microbiota. This article provides a review about the role of gut microbiota in depression and supplements such as probiotics that are useful in the treatment of depression.

Keywords: Gut microbiota, gut-brain axis (GBA), depression, probiotics, prebiotics, food supplement.

Graphical Abstract