AI Article Synopsis

  • Oral activated charcoal (OAC) has been traditionally used to treat poisoning and may help protect gut bacteria during antibiotic treatment.
  • A clinical trial with 12 healthy participants tested different doses of OAC mixed in water or apple juice, finding that 12 grams in apple juice was the most preferred option.
  • The study concluded that OAC was safe and well-tolerated, but it did not change the gut microbiota in healthy individuals, paving the way for future research on its effects during antibiotic use.

Article Abstract

Oral activated charcoal (OAC), a potent adsorbent with no systemic absorption, has been used for centuries to treat poisoning. Recent studies have suggested its potential efficacy in protecting the colonic microbiota against detrimental effects of antibiotics. In a dose-finding safety and feasibility clinical trial, 12 healthy volunteers not receiving antibiotics drank 4 different preparations made of 2 possible OAC doses (12 or 25 grams) mixed in 2 possible solutions (water or apple juice), 3 days a week for 2 weeks. Pre- and post-OAC stool samples underwent 16S rRNA gene sequencing and exact amplicon sequence variants were used to characterize the colonic microbiota. The preferred preparation was 12 grams of OAC in apple juice, with excellent safety and tolerability. OAC did not influence the gut microbiota in our healthy volunteers. These findings provide the critical preliminary data for future trials of OAC in patients receiving antibiotics.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9197061PMC
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0269986PLOS

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

healthy volunteers
12
receiving antibiotics
12
dose-finding safety
8
safety feasibility
8
oral activated
8
activated charcoal
8
gut microbiota
8
microbiota healthy
8
volunteers receiving
8
colonic microbiota
8

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!