Prenatal treatment with prebiotic inulin ameliorate behavioral impairments induced by animal model of Maternal Immune Activation with Poly (I:C)

Mental disorders are increasingly recurrent in the population, and one in four people worldwide will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives. Maternal exposure to infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria or other protozoa is associated with an increased risk of mental disorders in offspring. Evidence suggests that immune processes induced by infection may disrupt neurodevelopment in offspring, impacting function of the Central Nervous System (CNS). These immunological processes may be associated with an exacerbated production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-8 (IL-8), IL-6, and TNF-alfa, with negative impacts to the neurodevelopment. Inulin is a non-digestible soluble fiber that could act as a prebiotic favoring the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFS), such as butyrate, which has the capacity to inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.