Colonoscopy prep disrupts gut microbiota, and recovery is slower in ulcerative colitis
After PEG bowel prep, gut microbial diversity dropped in everyone, but patients with ulcerative colitis recovered more slowly; probiotics were linked to better diversity.
Bowel preparation with polyethylene glycol is routine before colonoscopy, but its effect on the gut microbiome is rarely considered. In this single-center, open-label randomized trial, 79 participants (40 healthy controls and 39 patients with ulcerative colitis) received probiotics or nothing for 28 days after the procedure. Stool samples were sequenced at baseline and on days 2, 14 and 28.
Preparation lowered microbial diversity and shifted community composition in healthy people, with gradual recovery by day 28. Patients with ulcerative colitis started with lower diversity and recovered more slowly. Probiotics modestly helped recovery in healthy participants and improved diversity and evenness more clearly in patients with colitis. They were also linked to more short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria such as Faecalibacterium and Blautia.
Limitations: the trial was open-label, and outcomes were microbial markers and predicted pathways rather than clinical results.
Summary prepared with AI assistance from the published abstract and reviewed by a physician. Not medical advice. Learn more
