Psycbiotic Agents: The Neuroactive Metabolites of Probiotics
- DOI
- 10.2991/978-94-6239-666-1_56How to use a DOI?
- Keywords
- Biogenic amines; microbial metabolites; probiotics; postbiotics; fermented products; gut bacteria; psychobiotics
- Abstract
The gut–brain axis has attracted growing attention, given that microbial activity can significantly influence host neurophysiology. Central to this interaction are biogenic amines, including serotonin, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), tryptamine and phenylethylamine, which are synthesised by selected probiotic strains as microbial metabolites. These metabolites act as postbiotic agents, maintaining biological activity independently of bacterial viability and representing a mechanistic link between gut bacteria and mental health. Both gut-resident probiotics and fermented products are sources of these compounds, as microbial communities transform dietary substrates into various neuroactive molecules. This metabolic capacity underscores the role of gut bacteria as functional hubs that produce psychobiotic agents. By modulating neurotransmission, immune responses and stress-related pathways, postbiotic biogenic amines provide the basis for innovative nutritional and therapeutic approaches. The interplay between probiotics, their metabolites, and fermentation-derived postbiotics emphasises their potential for supporting mental well-being.
- Copyright
- © 2026 The Author(s)
- Open Access
- Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.
Cite this article
TY - CONF AU - Nurten Yilmaz AU - Uğur Zülkadir PY - 2026 DA - 2026/05/07 TI - Psycbiotic Agents: The Neuroactive Metabolites of Probiotics BT - Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Research of Agricultural and Food Technologies (I-CRAFT 2025) PB - Atlantis Press SP - 626 EP - 637 SN - 3005-155X UR - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-666-1_56 DO - 10.2991/978-94-6239-666-1_56 ID - Yilmaz2026 ER -