Therapeutic potential of probiotics – Lactobacillus plantarum UBLP40 and Bacillus clausii UBBC07 on thioacetamide-induced acute hepatic encephalopathy in rats

Purpose Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) or hepatic coma is a demanding, not utterly understood complication of acute and chronic liver dysfunction and portosystemic shunting. In HE, hyperammonemia and inflammatory responses are believed to act in synergism. Probiotics, Lactobacillus plantarum UBLP40 and Bacillus clausii UBBC07 reduce small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and hyperammonemia, thereby preventing HE development. Methods The effect of probiotics- Lactobacillus plantarum UBLP40 (10 7 CFU/day, 14 days) and Bacillus clausii UBBC07 (10 7 CFU/day, 14 days) combination and standard drug-lactulose (2.5 ml/kg in 3 divided doses, 14 days) was studied in thioacetamide (250 mg/kg for three days) induced acute HE in rats by measuring behavioural parameters, biochemical parameters (serum AST, ALT, ALP and ammonia level), neurochemical parameters and histopathology study in brain and liver. Results In contrast to only thioacetamide treated rats, probiotics treatment substantially ( p