Utilization of Probiotic-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Postbiotics and Their Role in Mental Health Therapeutics

• Published in: Food science of animal resources Vol. 44; no. 6; pp. 1252 - 1265
• Main Authors: Baek, Jihyeon, Lee, Suyeon, Lee, Jinho, Park, Jihyun, Choi, Esther, Kang, Seok-Seong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources 01.11.2024; 한국축산식품학회
• Subjects: Review; 축산학; extracellular vesicles; postbiotics; mental health; probiotics
• ISSN: 2636-0772; 2636-0780; 2636-0780
• DOI: 10.5851/kosfa.2024.e92

As consumers become more interested in healthier lifestyles, the global functional food market is expanding. Probiotics have gained attention because of their numerous health benefits to the host and may even treat various pathological conditions. Probiotics interact with host cells, and particularly, probiotics-derived extracellular vesicles (PEVs) are key factors in the health benefits of probiotics. Additionally, extracellular vesicles are nano-scaled lipid-bilayer particles that carry various biological molecules, indicating potential as new postbiotics that can provide the same health benefits as probiotics while complementing the side effects associated with probiotics. The importance of mental health care is becoming increasingly prominent considering societal conditions, such as the recent aging population and the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. However, the response to mental health issues among modern individuals is insufficient, and there is a need for the development of new personalized treatments to overcome the limitations of current mental health therapies. PEVs have various physiological functions, including mediating cellular communication in the central nervous system, which indicates associations among mental disorders. Therefore, we focused on the beneficial effects of PEVs on the brain and mental health. Recent research has shown that PEVs can adjust the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factors and , demonstrating antidepressant and cognitive function improvement effects. This suggests that PEVs have potential as therapeutic agents for improving mental health and treating brain disorders. Based on this, we review these findings and present the beneficial effects of PEVs on mental health and the challenges that need to be addressed.