Effect of Probiotic Microbial Consortium on Anxiety in Rats With Alloxan-Induced Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that involves not only impaired glucose metabolism but also the development of secondary psychoemotional disturbances, including increased anxiety. Recently, growing attention has been paid to the role of the gut microbiota and the «gut–brain axis» in the pathogenesis of neurological complications of diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a probiotic microbial consortium composed of strains of Lactobacillus spp., Enterococcus faecium, and Brettanomyces bruxellensis on the anxiety level of rats with alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus. The diabetic model was reproduced by intraperitoneal administration of alloxan. Anxiety levels were assessed using the elevated plus maze behavioral test on days 1, 7, 14, and 21 after induction of alloxan-induced diabetes. The anxiety index was calculated based on the time the animals spent in the open arms of the maze. The obtained results demonstrated that in the diabetic model group, the anxiety index was significantly elevated at all observation points compared to the control group, indicating the development of a sustained anxiety-like state. Administration of the probiotic microbial consortium to diabetic rats led to a decrease in anxiety index values across all time points compared to the untreated diabetic group, suggesting partial recovery of emotional status. These findings imply that the probiotic microbial consortium may possess anxiolytic properties mediated through anti-inflammatory effects, correction of microbial dysbiosis, and restoration of gut–brain axis functionality. Thus, the probiotic microbial consortium can be considered a promising tool for the complex correction of psychoemotional disorders in insulin-deficient forms of diabetes, as well as a preventive approach to anxiety-related conditions associated with neuroinflammation and microbiota imbalance.