{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,5]],"date-time":"2026-06-05T05:04:32Z","timestamp":1780635872833,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,31]],"date-time":"2026-05-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780185600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The role of the gut\u2013brain axis is crucial in maintaining homeostasis and regulating neural, hormonal, and immunological activity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of prebiotics or synbiotics on serum markers related to emotional disorders in individuals with morbid obesity in a triple-blind, randomized trial. The sample consisted of 22 subjects (16 women and 6 men) with a mean age of 41.8 \u00b1 8.5 years and a mean BMI of 47.7 \u00b1 6.8 kg\/m2. Serum BDNF concentrations decreased significantly after 30 days of prebiotic supplementation (p = 0.017). Serum cortisol concentrations increased in all groups between the evaluated time points, with the increase being statistically significant in the synbiotic-supplemented group (p = 0.028). Serum TNF-\u03b1 concentrations increased significantly after 30 days of prebiotic supplementation when compared to the group\u2019s baseline (p = 0.035); however, this variation did not produce a significant difference between the groups evaluated after 30 days of supplementation. The results suggest that a chronic, low-grade inflammatory state may be related to the neuroendocrine changes present in emotional disorders, but the absence of significant results in the primary outcomes is possibly due to severe underpowering. Findings from additional secondary outcomes are hypothesis-generating only, requiring confirmation in adequately powered trials.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life16060924","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]],"date-time":"2026-06-04T03:37:29Z","timestamp":1780544249000},"page":"924","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Gut Modulators Alter BDNF\/Cortisol Axis in Severe Obesity: Additional Secondary Outcomes from a Triple-Blind Randomized Trial"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6493-3641","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dayanne da Silva","family":"Borges","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Post-Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-535, SC, Brazil"},{"name":"Laboratory of Neurobiology of Pain and Inflammation, Department of Physiological Sciences, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-535, SC, Brazil"},{"name":"Post-Graduate Program in Nutrition, Research Group on Immunonutrition and Metabolism, Center of Health Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-535, SC, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ricardo","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, Federal University of Grande Dourados, Dourados 79804-970, MS, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Barbara Beatriz Philippi","family":"Martins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Post-Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-535, SC, Brazil"},{"name":"Laboratory of Neurobiology of Pain and Inflammation, Department of Physiological Sciences, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-535, SC, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Scheila Iria","family":"Kraus","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Post-Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-535, SC, Brazil"},{"name":"Laboratory of Neurobiology of Pain and Inflammation, Department of Physiological Sciences, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-535, SC, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1736-4049","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Erasmo Benicio Santos de Moraes","family":"Trindade","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Post-Graduate Program in Nutrition, Research Group on Immunonutrition and Metabolism, Center of Health Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-535, SC, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adair Roberto Soares","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Post-Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-535, SC, Brazil"},{"name":"Laboratory of Neurobiology of Pain and Inflammation, Department of Physiological Sciences, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-535, SC, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bbi.2017.08.026","article-title":"Effects of obesity on depression: A role for inflammation and the gut microbiota","volume":"69","author":"Schachter","year":"2018","journal-title":"Brain Behav. 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