Numerous clinical studies have been conducted to explore the function of
L. reuteri in the intestines of healthy individuals, its role in regulating gut microbiota and mucosal homeostasis, in shaping the intestinal host immune system, and in ameliorating intestinal inflammation in pathological conditions, such as acute watery diarrhea
[8][9][10][16][17][18][19] (
Table S1). Literature data provides evidence that the use of lactobacilli leads to an improvement of gut functionality and gastrointestinal symptoms, as reported by Guandalini et al.
[20].
L. reuteri restores the balanced composition of human microbiota communities, and is useful both in the treatment of acute watery diarrhea and in the prevention of new episodes of diarrhea, including after prolonged antibiotic treatments
[21][22]. Shornikova et al.
[23][24] examined the role of
L. reuteri in acute watery diarrhea in children and in rotavirus gastroenteritis. These authors conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial, enrolling 86 children, between 6 and 36 months of age, who tested positive for rotavirus. They randomized children to receive either 10
10 or 10
7 colony-forming units (CFU) of
L. reuteri or a placebo once a day for 5 days. They showed that the use of
L. reuteri shortened the duration of the acute watery diarrhea with a dose-related effect. Indeed, the mean duration of acute watery diarrhea was 1.5 days in the group taking a large dosage of
L. reuteri, 1.9 days in the group taking a small dosage, and 2.5 days in the group taking the placebo. By the second day of treatment with
L. reuteri, the acute watery diarrhea persisted among 48% of those who took the large dosage, 70% of those who took the small dosage, and 80% of those treated with the placebo. Francavilla et al.
[18], in their randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial, which included 35 children in the
L. reuteri group and 34 in the placebo group, reported that supplementation with
L. reuteri, at a dosage of 4 × 10
8 CFU/day for 7 days, reduced the duration of acute watery diarrhea, with the maximum effect on the second and third day, in children aged between 3 months and 3 years, without reported side effects. Dinleyici et al.
[19][25] carried out two multicenter randomized clinical trials and found that the use of
L. reuteri was able to decrease the duration of acute watery diarrhea up to 15 h in children aged between 3 months and 5 years. Moreover, it was able to reduce the length of hospital stay. After two days of treatment with
L. reuteri, ~55% of children were diarrhea-free vs. only 15% of children in the control group, with a greater effectiveness of the intervention between 48 and 72 h after using five drops containing 10
8 CFU
L. reuteri, and with a safe, well-tolerated and effective profile in the pediatric outpatient setting
[19]. Urbańska et al.
[26], in their review, highlighted that the frequency of diarrhea in children (they reviewed published articles and trials for a total of 1229 participants) treated with
L. reuteri at a dosage ranging from 1 × 10
8 to 4 × 10
8 CFU daily for 5–7 days, was surprisingly low.
L. reuteri was able to reduce the duration of diarrhea by one day with the maximum beneficial effect at day two. Even if the studies they analyzed were heterogeneous for the duration and the dosage of
L. reuteri, the authors confirmed the beneficial effects of this probiotic for the treatment and prevention of acute watery diarrhea. Szymański et al.
[27] concluded that
L. reuteri, at a dosage of 2 × 10
8 CFU for 5 days, could help in the management of acute watery diarrhea in children, shortening the duration of hospitalization. They collected data on about 99 children aged <5 years with acute gastroenteritis (liquid stool) lasting no longer than five days, and an increase in the frequency of evacuations (≥3 evacuations/day), demonstrating that the administration of
L. reuteri vs. a placebo, in addition to standard rehydration therapy, reduced the duration of hospitalization, but not the duration of diarrhea, which was similar in both groups. Margiotta et al.
[28] showed that in children with acute gastroenteritis, the combination of
Lactobacillus reuteri LRE02-DSM 23878, at a dose of 2 × 10
8 CFU/daily, and
Lactobacillus rhamnosus LR04-DSM 16605, at a dose of 1 × 10
9 CFU/daily for 15 days, improved stool consistency and the number of evacuations. Patro-Golab et al.
[29] performed a systematic review and meta-analysis analyzing four relevant trials that compared the administration of
L. reuteri, at different dosages with a placebo or without treatment. Their primary endpoints were the diarrhea duration and the stool volume. Their secondary endpoint was the evaluation of the effects of
L. reuteri on the course of diarrhea, on the duration of diarrhea no longer than seven days, and on the duration of hospitalization. They observed that
L. reuteri was useful in reducing diarrhea duration by approximately 21 h and hospitalization in children by approximately 13 h, but no significant effects were reported on the number of watery stools. The authors concluded that probiotics and
L. reuteri could be a useful and safe, supportive measure for the treatment and prevention of diarrhea, reducing both the diarrhea duration and the intensity of symptoms, with beneficial health effects
[29].