OSCR

Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Core Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children.

Overview

Authors: Meng Xian Chan1, Chui Yan Hoh1, Ying Yi Teh1, Xin Yian Toh1, Noor Akmal Shareela Ismail1
ORCID iDs: Meng Xian Chan, Chui Yan Hoh, Noor Akmal Shareela Ismail
  1. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (M.X.C.); (C.Y.H.); (Y.Y.T.); (X.Y.T.)
Institutions: National University of Malaysia (Malaysia)
Journal: Nutrients, volume 18, issue 7, article 1127
Dates: received 16 January 2026; accepted 27 March 2026; published online 31 March 2026
Type: Review · Language: English
License: CC BY
Identifiers: DOI 10.3390/nu18071127 · PMID 41978177 · PMCID PMC13074504 · OpenAlex W7143897147
Open access: gold, a free copy (OpenAlex)
Status: data only (how the code is found and verified)
Categories: human (organism), autism (population)
Keywords: gut–brain axis, gut microbiota, Lactobacillus reuteri, psychobiotics, pediatric, autism, microbiome-gut-brain axis
MeSH: Autism Spectrum Disorder*, Dietary Supplements*, Probiotics*, Adolescent, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Humans, Male, Treatment Outcome (* major topic)
Topic: Gut microbiota and health (Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology), according to OpenAlex
Funding: Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (no)
Citations: not cited yet (Europe PMC); 127 references in the paper

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Increasing evidence implicates the microbiome–gut–brain axis in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) pathophysiology, prompting interest in probiotics as a therapeutic strategy, although findings remain inconsistent. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of probiotic supplementation on core ASD symptoms, examine the outcome measures used, and provide insights into optimal probiotic interventions. Methods: This review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Ovid, ProQuest, and Wiley Online Library were searched for studies published between January 2015 and July 2025. Randomized, non-randomized, and open-label clinical studies evaluating oral probiotic supplementation in children and adolescents with ASD were included. Outcomes assessed core symptom domains using validated instruments. Study selection, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment (RoB 2 and ROBINS-I) were performed independently by multiple reviewers. Due to methodological heterogeneity, the findings were synthesized narratively. Results: Fourteen studies involving 924 children and adolescents with ASD across seven countries or regions were included, of which ten were randomized controlled trials. Eight studies reported significant improvement in core ASD symptoms, predominantly within the social and communication domain. The most frequently used assessment tools were the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC), and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation for at least three months was consistently associated with improvement in social behavior. Conclusions: L. reuteri supplementation possibly improves social and communication function in children with ASD. However, there is limited high-quality evidence on this. Evidence for other core domains remains limited and inconsistent, highlighting the need for well-designed, multicenter trials using standardized outcome measures and strain-specific hypotheses.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

Code

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Data

Datasets cited

Data Availability Statement

The original data presented in the study are openly available in FigShare at doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.31074418.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

Versions

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Version 1, 30 September 2026: the first record

Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, issue, pages, dates, 5 authors, 7 keywords, 11 MeSH terms, 1 funder, 127 references.

Cite

This paper

Chan, M. X., Hoh, C. Y., Teh, Y. Y., Toh, X. Y., & Ismail, N. A. S. (2026). Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Core Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children. Nutrients, 18(7), 1127. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18071127

BibTeX

@article{chan2026effects,
author = {Chan, Meng Xian and Hoh, Chui Yan and Teh, Ying Yi and Toh, Xin Yian and Ismail, Noor Akmal Shareela},
title = {{Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Core Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children}},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = mar,
volume = {18},
number = {7},
pages = {1127},
publisher = {Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)},
issn = {2072-6643},
doi = {10.3390/nu18071127},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18071127},
pmid = {41978177},
pmcid = {PMC13074504}
}

RIS

TY - JOUR
AU - Chan, Meng Xian
AU - Hoh, Chui Yan
AU - Teh, Ying Yi
AU - Toh, Xin Yian
AU - Ismail, Noor Akmal Shareela
TI - Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Core Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children
T2 - Nutrients
J2 - Nutrients
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/03/31
VL - 18
IS - 7
SP - 1127
SN - 2072-6643
PB - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
DO - 10.3390/nu18071127
UR - https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18071127
LA - en
ER -

CSL-JSON

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