title: Attenuating effect of Lactobacillus brevis G101 on the MSG symptom complex in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lactobacillus brevis G101 suppresses the absorption of monosodium glutamate (MSG) from the intestine into the blood in mice. Therefore, the attenuating effect of orally administered G101 on monosodium glutamate (MSG) symptom complex was investigated in humans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Capsules (300 mg) containing Lactobacillus brevis G101 (1×10(10) CFU/individual) or maltodextrin (placebo) was orally administered in 30 respondents with self-recognized monosodium glutamate (MSG) symptom complex for 5 days and the rice with black soybean sauce containing 6 g MSG (RBSM) was ingested 30 min after the final administration. Thereafter, the MSG symptom complex (rated on a 5-point scale: 1, none; 5, strong) was investigated in a double blind placebo controlled study. The intensity of the MSG symptom complex was significantly reduced in respondents of the G101 intake group (2.87 ± 0.73) compared to that in those treated with the placebo (3.63 ± 1.03) (P = 0.0016). Respondents in the placebo group exhibited more of the various major conditions of the MSG symptom complex than in the G101 intake group. Although there was no significant difference in the appearance time of the MSG symptom complex between subjects orally administered G101 and those administered the placebo, its disappearance in < 3 h was observed in 69.9% of subjects in the G101 treatment group and in 38.0% of subjects in the placebo group (P = 0.0841).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral administration of Lactobacillus brevis G101 may be able to reduce the intensity of the MSG symptom complex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, 26, Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Yeji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, 26, Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Sung
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: R & D center, CTCBIO Inc., Gyeonggi 445-913, Korea.
authors.forename: Se-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, 26, Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Myung Joo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Han
keywords: Lactobacillus brevis G10; Monosodium glutamate; blind study; side effect