{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T17:10:17Z","timestamp":1787764217217,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"PeerJ","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,12]],"date-time":"2025-03-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1741737600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"name":"Grant from Taiwan National Science Council","award":["NSC 111-2321-B-002-023-MY3"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NSC 111-2321-B-002-023-MY3"]}]},{"name":"Grant from Taiwan National Science Council","award":["NSC 112-2321-B-002-029-MY3"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NSC 112-2321-B-002-029-MY3"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n The role of uremic toxins in the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and novel treatments to mitigate their effects are critical areas of research. This pilot study investigated the efficacy of a novel activated bamboo charcoal and\/or probiotics in reducing uremic toxins and improving renal function in CKD patients.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n This prospective, randomized, open, blinded end-point (PROBE) study included patients with stage 3 CKD. Patients were randomly assigned to one of four groups: activated bamboo charcoal (ABC), probiotics, ABC with probiotics, or standard treatment for 3 months.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n A total of 46 patients were enrolled (mean age 66.7 \u00b1 11.5 years, 71.7% male). The ABC and ABC with probiotics groups showed a significant reduction in serum levels of the uremic toxins trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), p-cresyl sulfate (PCS), indoxyl sulfate (IS), and phenyl sulfate (PS) after 3 months of treatment (all p<\/jats:italic>\u00a0<\u00a00.05). There was a particularly pronounced decrease in the percentage of IS in both the ABC group (\u221223.9 \u00b1 28.9% vs<\/jats:italic>. 33.9 \u00b1 63.4%, p<\/jats:italic>\u00a0=\u00a00.005) and the ABC with probiotics group (\u221229.3 \u00b1 30.6% vs<\/jats:italic>. 33.9 \u00b1 63.4%, p<\/jats:italic>\u00a0=\u00a00.009). The eGFR change ratio also significantly improved in the ABC group compared to the control group (4.6 \u00b1 10.2% vs<\/jats:italic>. \u22128.6 \u00b1 12.5%, p<\/jats:italic>\u00a0=\u00a00.011). However, the probiotics group did not exhibit a similar reduction in uremic toxins or an improvement in the eGFR.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n This study suggested that ABC significantly reduced uremic toxins and might have potential in improving eGFR in CKD stage 3 patients over a 3-month period. These findings suggest a potential protective effect of ABC on kidney function, highlighting the need for further large-scale, long-term randomized controlled trials to confirm these results.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.7717\/peerj.19007","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,12]],"date-time":"2025-03-12T08:23:25Z","timestamp":1741767805000},"page":"e19007","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Efficacy of novel activated bamboo charcoal in reducing uremic toxins and enhancing kidney function in chronic kidney disease patients: a pilot randomized controlled trial"],"prefix":"10.7717","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Kuo-Chin","family":"Hung","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Min-Sheng General Hospital, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Taoyuan City, Taiwan"},{"name":"Tajen University, Department of Pharmacy, Pingtung, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mei-Yueh","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Gangshan Hospital, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kaohsiung, Taiwan"},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shih-Yuan","family":"Hung","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan"},{"name":"I-Shou University, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chiao-Yin","family":"Sun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keelung, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chau-Chung","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Taiwan University Hospital, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei, Alberta, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cheng-Jui","family":"Lin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mackay Memorial Hospital, Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"4443","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"10.7717\/peerj.19007\/ref-1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"459","DOI":"10.1053\/j.ajkd.2009.05.011","article-title":"Effect of a carbonaceous oral adsorbent on the progression of CKD: a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial","volume":"54","author":"Akizawa","year":"2009","journal-title":"American Journal of Kidney 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