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Lentinula edodes cultured extract intake alleviates long-term immune deregulation induced by early-life gut microbiota dysbiosis

Summary

Taking an extract from shiitake mushrooms (AHCC) during pregnancy and breastfeeding can help protect babies from the negative immune effects of antibiotics. Antibiotics given early in life damage the beneficial bacteria in the baby’s gut, leading to long-term immune problems. This study showed that shiitake extract helped restore healthy bacteria and reduced inflammation in mice exposed to antibiotics as infants, suggesting it could be used as a preventive measure for children who need antibiotics.

Background

Early-life gut microbiota establishment is crucial for immune system development. Perinatal antibiotic exposure perturbs microbiota and leads to long-term immune dysregulation. The underlying mechanisms and potential interventions remain inadequately explored.

Objective

To investigate the persistent consequences of perinatal penicillin exposure on gut immunity and evaluate the protective role of AHCC (Lentinula edodes cultured extract) as a prebiotic against antibiotic-induced dysbiosis and immune dysregulation.

Results

Antibiotic exposure increased Proteobacteria and decreased Firmicutes and SCFA-producing bacteria; AHCC partially prevented these changes. AHCC reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, IL-15, IL-21) and mitigated antibiotic-induced NF-κB elevation. AHCC prevented dysregulation of anti-inflammatory miR-145 in males.

Conclusion

Maternal prebiotic AHCC intake partially prevents gut microbiota alterations and long-term immune dysregulation induced by early-life antibiotic exposure by modulating miRNA expression and inflammatory signaling pathways, highlighting prebiotic intake as a promising preventive strategy.
  • Published in:Scientific Reports,
  • Study Type:Experimental Animal Study,
  • Source: PMID: 41444353, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-33160-x
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