{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T09:24:38Z","timestamp":1788341078397,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788307200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"dsm-firmenich"},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01c00kj47","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Unusually frequent and soft stools may negatively impact the quality of life. A postbiotic containing heat inactivated Limosilactobacillus fermentum CNCM I-2998 and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis CNCM I-4831 has previously been shown to alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms and diarrhea in patients with clinically diagnosed gastrointestinal disorders. This study evaluated whether this postbiotic can support bowel movement frequency in Japanese healthy adults with self-reported frequent and soft stools. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, participants (n = 100) received the postbiotic (20 billion heat-inactivated cells per day) or placebo for four weeks. The primary endpoint was weekly bowel movement frequency. Secondary endpoints included days with bowel movements per week, sense of relief, stool characteristics (shape, color, odor, water content), gastrointestinal symptoms, and fecal microbiome composition. After four weeks, the postbiotic group showed significantly lower bowel movement frequency and fewer days with bowel movements when compared with the placebo group. Importantly, these reductions were not accompanied by decreased stool volume or increased hard stools or constipation symptoms. Mild changes in microbiome composition were detected across groups, and no adverse events were reported. These findings suggest that the postbiotic is safe and can help reduce bowel movement frequency in healthy individuals experiencing unusually frequent and soft stools.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms14091939","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T08:56:01Z","timestamp":1788339361000},"page":"1939","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A Postbiotic Containing Limosilactobacillus fermentum CNCM I-2998 and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis CNCM I-4831 Reduces Bowel Movement Frequency in Healthy Adults with Self-Reported Unusually Frequent and Soft Stools"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Nize","family":"Otaru","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Health, Nutrition & Care (HNC), dsm-firmenich, 4303 Kaiseraugst, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3015-5180","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Erik","family":"Eckhardt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"dsm-firmenich Houdan SAS, 78550 Houdan, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Matthew R.","family":"Hayward","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"dsm-firmenich, Lexington, MA 02421, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tomoya","family":"Isaji","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"NOF CORPORATION, Kawasaki 210-0865, Kanagawa, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuki","family":"Kamioka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"NOF CORPORATION, Kawasaki 210-0865, Kanagawa, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Britt","family":"Blokker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Health, Nutrition & Care (HNC), dsm-firmenich, 4303 Kaiseraugst, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6190-8528","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gabriel","family":"Vinderola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Lactolog\u00eda Industrial (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas y T\u00e9cnicas\u2014Universidad Nacional del Litoral), Santa Fe S3000, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sakaria, S.S., and Rutherford, R.E. (2017). Chronic Diarrhea. Sitaraman and Friedman\u2019s Essentials of Gastroenterology, Wiley. [2nd ed.].","DOI":"10.1002\/9781119235170.ch6"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101646","DOI":"10.1016\/j.xcrm.2024.101646","article-title":"Aberrant Bowel Movement Frequencies Coincide with Increased Microbe-Derived Blood Metabolites Associated with Reduced Organ Function","volume":"5","author":"Diener","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cell Rep. Med."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Vinderola, G., Sanders, M.E., and Salminen, S. (2022). The Concept of Postbiotics. Foods, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/foods11081077"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"649","DOI":"10.1038\/s41575-021-00440-6","article-title":"The International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) Consensus Statement on the Definition and Scope of Postbiotics","volume":"18","author":"Salminen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1756284820971201","DOI":"10.1177\/1756284820971201","article-title":"Lactobacillus Acidophilus LB: A Useful Pharmabiotic for the Treatment of Digestive Disorders","volume":"13","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ther. Adv. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"253","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02849854","article-title":"Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial of Heat-killedLactobacillus Acidophilus LB in Patients with Chronic Diarrhea","volume":"20","author":"Xiao","year":"2003","journal-title":"Adv. Ther."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"57","DOI":"10.1177\/1756283X15602831","article-title":"A Gastrointestinal Anti-Infectious Biotherapeutic Agent: The Heat-Treated Lactobacillus LB","volume":"9","year":"2016","journal-title":"Ther. Adv. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e02459-20","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.02459-20","article-title":"A Postbiotic Consisting of Heat-Treated Lactobacilli Has a Bifidogenic Effect in Pure Culture and in Human Fermented Fecal Communities","volume":"87","author":"Warda","year":"2021","journal-title":"Appl. Environ. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"skad160","DOI":"10.1093\/jas\/skad160","article-title":"Effects of a Lactobacillus Fermentation Product on the Fecal Characteristics, Fecal Microbial Populations, Immune Function, and Stress Markers of Adult Dogs","volume":"101","author":"Koziol","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Anim. Sci."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"920","DOI":"10.3109\/00365529709011203","article-title":"Stool Form Scale as a Useful Guide to Intestinal Transit Time","volume":"32","author":"Lewis","year":"1997","journal-title":"Scand. J. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1007\/BF01535722","article-title":"GSRS\u2014A Clinical Rating Scale for Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Peptic Ulcer Disease","volume":"33","author":"Svedlund","year":"1988","journal-title":"Dig. Dis. Sci."},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"1478","article-title":"Development and Verification of the Izumo Scale, New Questionnaire for Quality of Life Assessment of Patients with Gastrointestinal Symptoms","volume":"106","author":"Furuta","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Jpn. Soc. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1053\/j.gastro.2020.04.014","article-title":"Worldwide Prevalence and Burden of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, Results of Rome Foundation Global Study","volume":"160","author":"Sperber","year":"2021","journal-title":"Gastroenterology"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"547","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbiosc.2010.05.016","article-title":"Effects of a Probiotic Fermented Milk Beverage Containing Lactobacillus Casei Strain Shirota on Defecation Frequency, Intestinal Microbiota, and the Intestinal Environment of Healthy Individuals with Soft Stools","volume":"110","author":"Matsumoto","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Biosci. Bioeng."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2117508","DOI":"10.1080\/19490976.2022.2117508","article-title":"The Clinical Evidence for Postbiotics as Microbial Therapeutics","volume":"14","author":"Mosca","year":"2022","journal-title":"Gut Microbes"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"556","DOI":"10.3109\/00365520903551332","article-title":"Assessment of Normal Bowel Habits in the General Adult Population: The Popcol Study","volume":"45","author":"Walter","year":"2010","journal-title":"Scand. J. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1038\/s41395-018-0084-x","article-title":"American College of Gastroenterology Monograph on Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome","volume":"113","author":"Ford","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am. J. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"515","DOI":"10.1053\/j.gastro.2016.10.014","article-title":"Pathophysiology, Evaluation, and Management of Chronic Watery Diarrhea","volume":"152","author":"Camilleri","year":"2017","journal-title":"Gastroenterology"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"999","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.39524.439618.25","article-title":"Components of Placebo Effect: Randomised Controlled Trial in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome","volume":"336","author":"Kaptchuk","year":"2008","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1097\/MEG.0b013e32834bb951","article-title":"Placebo Responses and Placebo Effects in Functional Bowel Disorders","volume":"24","author":"Enck","year":"2012","journal-title":"Eur. J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zheng, Z., Tang, J., Hu, Y., and Zhang, W. (2022). Role of Gut Microbiota-Derived Signals in the Regulation of Gastrointestinal Motility. Front. Med., 9.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2022.961703"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pan, Z., Zhang, T., Ren, Z., Zhang, H., Wang, J., Ma, Y., Man, R., Peng, J., and Yu, Y. (2026). Microbiota\u2013immune Crosstalk in the Regulation of Intestinal Motility in Constipation. Front. Microbiol., 17.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2026.1828926"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105730","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jff.2023.105730","article-title":"Physiological Bioactivity of a Postbiotic Consisting of Heat-Treated Lactobacilli on Mouse Small Intestine","volume":"108","author":"Uhlig","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Funct. Foods"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Cercamondi, C.I., Bendik, I., Eckhardt, E., Mak, T., Seifert, N., Kuratli, K., Richard, N., Tamasi, B., Mussler, B., and Wintergerst, E. (2025). A Postbiotic Derived from Lactobacillaceae Protects Intestinal Barrier Function in a Challenge Model Using Colon Organoid Tubules. Foods, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/foods14071173"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Warda, A.K., de Almeida Bettio, P.H., Hueston, C.M., Di Benedetto, G., Clooney, A.G., and Hill, C. (2020). Oral Administration of Heat-Treated Lactobacilli Modifies the Murine Microbiome and Reduces Citrobacter Induced Colitis. Front. Microbiol., 11.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2020.00069"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"52","DOI":"10.1186\/s13073-016-0300-5","article-title":"Alterations in Fecal Microbiota Composition by Probiotic Supplementation in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","volume":"8","author":"Kristensen","year":"2016","journal-title":"Genome Med."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1907270","DOI":"10.1080\/19490976.2021.1907270","article-title":"From Taxonomy to Metabolic Output: What Factors Define Gut Microbiome Health?","volume":"13","author":"Wilmanski","year":"2021","journal-title":"Gut Microbes"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1355","DOI":"10.1053\/j.gastro.2016.02.027","article-title":"Biopsychosocial Aspects of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: How Central and Environmental Processes Contribute to the Development and Expression of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders","volume":"150","author":"Levy","year":"2016","journal-title":"Gastroenterology"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"588","DOI":"10.1159\/000332987","article-title":"The Effect of Inactivated Lactobacillus LB Fermented Culture Medium on Symptom Severity: Observational Investigation in 297 Patients with Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome","volume":"29","author":"Tarrerias","year":"2011","journal-title":"Dig. Dis."},{"key":"ref_30","first-page":"1579","article-title":"Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Lacteol Fort: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Cross-over Trial","volume":"91","author":"Halpern","year":"1996","journal-title":"Am. J. Gastroenterol."}],"container-title":["Microorganisms"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2607\/14\/9\/1939\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T09:08:29Z","timestamp":1788340109000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2607\/14\/9\/1939"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]]},"references-count":30,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["microorganisms14091939"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/microorganisms14091939","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-2607"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-2607","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]]}}}