Probiotics in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: which and when.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common and serious disease. Literature reports the central role of the gut-liver axis in the pathogenesis of NAFLD, and recently suggests that the microbiota is a casual factor of the disease, involved in the interactions between intestinal lumen and liver. Probiotic are commensal bacteria, able to modulate the microbiota with benefits for the health of humans. Several data suggest a range of potentially beneficial medicinal uses for probiotics, in particular in NAFLD patients. However, the species with higher efficacy in this disease are not identified. The present review focuses on the role of gut-liver axis in the pathogenesis, and on the potential therapeutic role of probiotics in the managing of NAFLD.