Synbiotic diet produces antidepressant-like effects but alters ketamine activity in an avian model of treatment-resistant depression
Behavioural Pharmacology August 21, 2025 Stephen W. White, Tara D. Clover, Kenneth J. Sufka
A synbiotic diet (pre- and probiotics combined) produced antidepressant-like effects in a chick model of treatment-resistant depression, but combining it with ketamine may reduce ketamine's effectiveness. Chicks fed synbiotic feed for 7 days showed fewer distress calls during a depression-like phase after isolation, indicating reduced behavioral despair. However, when given ketamine, chicks on the synbiotic diet showed suppressed distress calls, suggesting a negative interaction between synbiotics and ketamine. The findings are preliminary and indicate that using pre- and probiotic supplements alongside ketamine may produce contradictory effects, warranting further investigation.