Probiotic B. pseudocatenulatum and metabolite 5-AVAB in aging mice and human cohorts
In this abstract, the bacterium B. pseudocatenulatum was depleted during aging in Chinese cohorts and, given orally to naturally aged mice, improved gut homeostasis, multiorgan inflammaging, cognitive-motor performance and healthspan; its metabolite 5-AVAB reproduced part of these effects. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
B. pseudocatenulatum was consistently depleted during aging in both sexes and multiple Chinese cohorts. [1]
In naturally aged mice, oral B. pseudocatenulatum alone extended healthspan and improved cognitive-motor performance. [1]
5-AVAB supplementation partially reproduced the bacterium's systemic benefits, including cognitive and motor improvements. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Abstract of a study combining human cohort analyses with mouse experiments.
- Population / context
- Naturally aged mice and participants in multiple Chinese cohorts, as described in the abstract.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- August 25, 2026
MicroAge clock and B. pseudocatenulatum depletion in cohorts
The abstract describes gut microbial remodeling during aging that differed by enterotype. The authors built a microbiome-based aging clock, MicroAge, to track biological aging trajectories. They identified Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum as a candidate geroprotective species that was consistently depleted during aging in both sexes and across multiple Chinese cohorts. These human findings are described as associations in cohorts, not as proof that the bacterium causes aging trajectories.
Supporting source [1]
Oral probiotic effects in naturally aged mice
In naturally aged mice, oral treatment with B. pseudocatenulatum alone rescued intestinal homeostasis, mitigated multiorgan inflammaging, enhanced cognitive-motor performance and extended healthspan. The abstract does not report lifespan, dose, treatment duration or sample sizes. These are animal results; they do not show that the same treatment extends healthspan or lifespan in people.
Supporting source [1]
5-AVAB metabolite partially reproduced the benefits
The authors characterized 5-aminovaleric acid betaine (5-AVAB) as a key metabolite derived from B. pseudocatenulatum whose levels decline physiologically in aging humans. Supplementing 5-AVAB partially recapitulated a broad spectrum of the systemic benefits seen with the bacterium, including improved cognitive and motor function and suppressed multiorgan inflammaging. The abstract calls the B. pseudocatenulatum–5-AVAB axis a promising target for microbiome-based interventions; this is a proposed target, not a validated or approved product.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. The abstract does not report sample sizes, doses, treatment duration, lifespan data or the design details of the human cohorts, and it does not establish that these mouse and metabolite findings apply to human healthspan.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Lu X, Ping J, Han Z, Zhang S, Liu L, Xiong M, Fan Y, Li J, Sun X, Yang P, Zheng K, Wang ZK, Ping J, Xiong Y, Zuo Y, Zhang M, Li J, Wu Q, Wang Q, Gao DD, Jiang B, Sun S, Ma S, Wang S, Qu J, Yang YG, Zhang F, Liu GH, Zhang W. · europepmc.org · August 25, 2026