Gut microbiota and metabolic alterations in participants with flatulence identify Faecalibacterium prausnitzii as a key microbial target for clinical intervention.
Participants with flatulence exhibited marked shifts in gut microbial functions and fecal metabolic profiles, with Faecalibacterium prausnitzii significantly negatively associated with the high-gas-producing phenotype, and supplementation with Bifidobacterium longum CCFM1319 in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial significantly increased intestinal F. prausnitzii abundance and improved flatulence-related symptoms.
Key Findings
Results
Participants with flatulence showed marked shifts in gut microbial functional profiles compared with healthy controls, characterized by enhanced abnormal fermentation and enrichment of oxidative stress-related functions.
Elevated low-grade inflammatory metabolic signatures were observed in the flatulence group.
Reduced anti-inflammatory and mucosal-protective metabolic features were characteristic of flatulence participants.
These metabolic alterations were identified through fecal metabolomics analysis.
Results
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii was significantly negatively associated with the high-gas-producing phenotype in participants with flatulence.
F. prausnitzii abundance was negatively correlated with the high-gas-producing phenotype.
This association was identified through gut microbial compositional and functional analyses comparing flatulence participants to healthy controls.
The finding positioned F. prausnitzii as a key microbial target for clinical intervention in flatulence.
Results
In vitro replenishment experiments validated that F. prausnitzii reduces gas production, promotes butyrate generation, and remodels butyrate-associated microbial communities.
F. prausnitzii supplementation in vitro led to measurable reductions in gas production.
F. prausnitzii replenishment promoted butyrate generation in vitro.
The addition of F. prausnitzii remodeled butyrate-associated microbial communities in the in vitro model.
These experiments provided mechanistic validation for the observed negative association between F. prausnitzii and high gas production.
Results
Microbial interaction analysis identified Bifidobacterium longum CCFM1319 as a candidate probiotic strain capable of targeting and increasing F. prausnitzii abundance.
Microbial interaction analysis was used to identify candidate strains that could promote F. prausnitzii growth or abundance.
B. longum CCFM1319 was identified from this analysis as a candidate strain for targeting F. prausnitzii.
This computational interaction-based approach informed the selection of the probiotic strain used in the clinical trial.
Results
Supplementation with B. longum CCFM1319 in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial significantly increased intestinal F. prausnitzii abundance and improved flatulence-related symptoms.
The clinical trial was designed as a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.
Participants received supplementation with B. longum CCFM1319 as the intervention.
B. longum CCFM1319 supplementation significantly increased intestinal F. prausnitzii abundance compared to placebo.
Flatulence-related symptoms were significantly improved in the B. longum CCFM1319 group.
The trial provides clinical evidence supporting the microbiota-based intervention strategy targeting F. prausnitzii for flatulence management.
What This Means
This research suggests that people who suffer from excessive flatulence have a distinctly different gut bacterial community and stool chemistry compared to healthy individuals. Specifically, their gut bacteria show signs of abnormal fermentation (which can produce more gas), heightened oxidative stress, and low-grade inflammation, while beneficial anti-inflammatory and gut-protective metabolic features are reduced. One particular bacterium, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, was found to be much lower in people with flatulence, and lab experiments confirmed that this bacterium helps reduce gas production and promotes the generation of butyrate, a beneficial short-chain fatty acid that supports gut health.
To translate this discovery into a practical intervention, the researchers used computational analysis of microbial interactions to identify a probiotic strain — Bifidobacterium longum CCFM1319 — that could help boost F. prausnitzii levels in the gut. They then tested this probiotic in a rigorous double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, the gold standard for medical research. Participants who took B. longum CCFM1319 showed significantly higher levels of F. prausnitzii in their gut and reported meaningful improvements in flatulence-related symptoms compared to those who took a placebo.
This research suggests that flatulence is not simply a dietary nuisance but is linked to specific, measurable imbalances in the gut microbiome. The findings point to F. prausnitzii as a key bacterial target and demonstrate that a carefully selected probiotic (B. longum CCFM1319) can shift the gut environment in a way that reduces excessive gas and associated discomfort. This work could inform the development of more precise, microbiome-targeted approaches for managing flatulence beyond general dietary advice.
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Chen R, Zhang C, Yan S, Zhang C, Ren Y, Wang G, et al.. (2026). Gut microbiota and metabolic alterations in participants with flatulence identify Faecalibacterium prausnitzii as a key microbial target for clinical intervention.. Gut microbes. https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2026.2728332