Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides SD23 Prevents Metabolic Dysfunction Associated with High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Male Mice

Suppression of P2X4 and P2X7 by Lactobacillus rhamnosus vitaP1: effects on hangover symptoms

This study aimed to identify substances including Lactobacillus rhamnosus vitaP1 (KACC 92054P) that alleviate hangover-induced emotional anxiety and liver damage. The association between emotional anxiety caused by hangover and the genes P2X4, P2X7, SLC6A4 was investigated. In vitro and in vivo analyses were conducted to assess the influence of free-panica on alcohol-induced upregulated gene expression. Additionally, the concentration of AST, ALT, alcohol, and acetaldehyde in blood was measured. Free-panica, consisting of five natural products (Phyllanthus amarus, Phoenix dactylifera, Vitis vinifera, Zingiber officinale, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus), were evaluated for their regulatory effects on genes involved in alcohol-induced emotional anxiety and liver damage. The combination of these natural products in free-panica successfully restored emotional anxiety, and the concentration of AST, ALT, alcohol, and acetaldehyde in blood to those of the normal control group. These findings support the potential development of free-panica as a health functional food or medicinal intervention for relieving hangover symptoms and protecting liver from alcohol consumption.

Unraveling the carbohydrate metabolic characteristics of Leuconostoc mesenteroides J18 through metabolite and transcriptome analyses

The metabolic characteristics of Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides J18, which is mainly responsible for kimchi fermentation, on various carbon sources were investigated through carbon utilization, metabolite, and transcriptome analyses at different culture conditions (10 and 30 °C with/without 2.5% NaCl). The metabolic features of strain J18 were relatively similar across the four culture conditions. However, the metabolic characteristics of strain J18 showed significant variations depending on the carbon source. These distinct metabolic traits of strain J18 on various carbon sources were validated through transcriptomic analyses and the reconstruction of metabolic pathways. The transcriptional expression of the metabolic pathways in response to each carbon source consistently correlated with the production profiles of metabolites, including ethanol, acetoin, diacetyl, and riboflavin, in each carbon source. Our findings suggests that the abundance of Leu. mesenteroides during fermentation and the taste and flavor of fermented food products can be controlled by altering the carbon sources.

Leuconostoc Citreum Inhibits Adipogenesis and Lipogenesis by Inhibiting p38 MAPK/Erk 44/42 and Stimulating AMPKα Signaling Pathways

Probiotics provide a range of health benefits. Several studies have shown that using probiotics in obesity treatment can reduce bodyweight. However, such treatments are still restricted. Leuconostoc citreum, an epiphytic bacterium, is widely used in a variety of biological applications. However, few studies have investigated the role of Leuconostoc spp. in adipocyte differentiation and its molecular mechanisms. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of cell-free metabolites of L. citreum (LSC) on adipogenesis, lipogenesis, and lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The results showed that LSC treatment reduced the accumulation of lipid droplets and expression levels of CCAAT/ enhancer-binding protein-α & β (C/EBP-α & β), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), serum regulatory binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (aP2), fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), resistin, pp38MAPK, and pErk 44/42. However, compared to control cells, adiponectin, an insulin sensitizer, was elevated in adipocytes treated with LSC. In addition, LSC treatment increased lipolysis by increasing pAMPK-α and suppressing FAS, ACC, and PPAR-γ expression, similarly to the effects of AICAR, an AMPK agonist. In conclusion, L. citreum is a novel probiotic strain that can be used to treat obesity and its associated metabolic disorders.

Dietary carbohydrate-to-protein ratio influences growth performance, hepatic health and dynamic of gut microbiota in atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fed a carbohydrate-rich diet exhibit suboptimal growth performance, along with other metabolic disturbances. It is well known that gut microbes play a pivotal role in influencing metabolism of the host, and these microbes can be modified by the diet. The main goal of the present study was to determine the effect of feeding graded levels of digestible carbohydrates to Atlantic salmon on the distal intestine digesta microbiota at 3 sampling times (i.e., weeks 4, 8 and 12), during a 12-week trial. A low carbohydrate-to-high protein diet (LC/HP, 0% wheat starch), a medium carbohydrate-to-medium protein diet (MC/MP, 15% wheat starch) or a high carbohydrate-to-low protein diet (HC/LP, 30% wheat starch) was fed to triplicate fish tanks (27 to 28 fish per tank). We performed an in-depth characterization of the distal intestine digesta microbiota. Further, growth parameters, liver histology and the expression of genes involved in hepatic neolipogenesis in fish were measured. Fish fed a HC/LP diet showed greater hepatosomatic and viscerosomatic indexes (P = 0.026 and P = 0.018, respectively), lower final weight (P = 0.005), weight gain (P = 0.003), feed efficiency (P = 0.033) and growth rate (P = 0.003) compared with fish fed the LC/HP diet. Further, feeding salmon a high digestible carbohydrate diet caused greater lipid vacuolization, steatosis index (P = 0.007) and expression of fatty acid synthase (fas) and delta-6 fatty acyl desaturase (d6fad) (P = 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively) in the liver compared with fish fed the LC/HP diet. Although, the major impact of feeding a carbohydrate-rich diet to Atlantic salmon in beta diversity of distal intestine digesta microbiota was observed at week 4 (HC/LP vs MC/MP and HC/LP vs LC/HP; P = 0.007 and P = 0.008, respectively) and week 8 (HC/LP vs MC/MP; P = 0.04), no differences between experimental groups were detected after 12 weeks of feeding. Finally, at the end of the trial, there was a negative correlation between lactic acid bacteria (LAB) members, including Leuconostoc and Lactobacillus, with hepatic steatosis level, the hepatosomatic and viscerosomatic indexes as well as the expression of fas and d6fad. Weissella showed negative correlation with hepatic steatosis level and the hepatosomatic index. Finally, further research to explore the potential use of LAB as probiotics to improve liver health in carnivorous fish fed fatty liver-induced diet is warranted.

Leuconostoc mesenteroides LVBH107 Antibacterial Activity against Porphyromonas gingivalis and Anti-Inflammatory Activity against P. gingivalis Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated RAW 264.7 Cells

Probiotics, active microorganisms benefiting human health, currently serve as nutritional supplements and clinical treatments. Periodontitis, a chronic infectious oral disease caused by Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), activates the host immune response to release numerous proinflammatory cytokines. Here, we aimed to clarify Leuconostoc mesenterica (L. mesenteroides) LVBH107 probiotic effects based on the inhibition of P.gingivalis activities while also evaluating the effectiveness of an in vitro P.gingivalis lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cell-based inflammation mode. L. mesenteroides LVBH107 survived at acid, bile salts, lysozyme, and hydrogen peroxide conditions, auto-aggregated and co-aggregated with P. gingivalis, exhibited strong hydrophobicity and electrostatic action, and strongly adhered to gingival epithelial and HT-29 cells (thus exhibiting oral tissue adherence and colonization abilities). Moreover, L.mesenteroides LVBH107 exhibited sensitivity to antibiotics erythromycin, doxycycline, minocycline, ampicillin, and others (thus indicating it lacked antibiotic resistance plasmids), effectively inhibited P.gingivalis biofilm formation and inflammation (in vitro inflammation model), reduced the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) and inflammatory mediators (NO and PGE₂), and decreased the expression levels of inflammation related genes. Thus, L.mesenterica LVBH107 holds promise as a probiotic that can inhibit P.gingivalis biofilm formation and exert anti-inflammatory activity to maintain oral health.

Effect of the administration of probiotics on the fecal microbiota of adult individuals

Probiotics have been used to ameliorate ailments by modulating gut microbiota. However, to date, the effects of probiotic supplementation on the composition of fecal microbiota in healthy adults remain obscure. In this study, nine healthy volunteers were recruited to take probiotics (a mixture of Lactobacillus casei Zhang, L. plantarum P-8, and Bifidobacterium lactis V9, 2:2:3, 1 × 1010 CFU/day) for 28 days. The fecal samples were collected at 0 and 28 days, and V4 of the 16S rRNA gene sequenced by Illumina MiSeq was used to analyze the fecal microbiota. The enterotype has been used to characterize the composition of gut microbiota. Nine adults were divided into Type P (fecal microbiota dominated by Prevotella, 4 adults) and Type B (fecal microbiota dominated by Bacteroides, 5 adults) based on an enterotype analysis. The responses of variation had been found in two enterotypes. The α-diversity was not changed significantly after the administration of probiotics in both Type P and B. However, the community structure in Type B was substantially influenced. After the administration of probiotics, Weissella and Leuconostoc were significantly higher in Type P, while Collinsella significantly increased in Type B. The different pathways involving pathogen infections were downregulated at 28 days. The Type VI secretion system and the EHEC/EPEC pathogenicity signature were downregulated in Type B and Type P, respectively.

Early triggers of moderately high-fat diet-induced kidney damage

Most of the obesity murine models inducing renal injury use calorie-enriched foods, where fat represents 60% of the total caloric supply, however, this strategy doubles the standard proportion of fat ingestion in obese patients. Therefore, it is crucial to study the impact of a high-fat intake on kidney physiology that resembles common obesity in humans to understand the trigger mechanisms of the long-term consequences of overweight and obesity. In this study, we analyzed whether chronic feeding with a moderately high fat diet (MHFD) representing 45% of total calories, may induce kidney function and structural injury compared to C57BL/6 mice fed a control diet. After 14 weeks, MHFD induced significant mice obesity. At the functional level, obese mice showed signs of kidney injury characterized by increased albuminuria/creatinine ratio and higher excretion of urinary biomarkers of kidney damage. While, at the structural level, glomerular hypertrophy was observed. Although, we did not detect renal fibrosis, the obese mice exhibited a significant elevation of Tgfb1 mRNA levels. Kidney damage caused by the exposure to MHFD was associated with greater oxidative stress, renal inflammation, higher endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress, and disruption of mitochondrial dynamics. In summary, our data demonstrate that obesity induced by a milder fat content diet is enough to establish renal injury, where oxidative stress, inflammation, ER-stress, and mitochondrial damage take relevance, pointing out the importance of opportune interventions to avoid the long-term consequences associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome.

IL-10 Expression-Inducing Gut Bacteria Alleviate High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity and Hyperlipidemia in Mice

In the present study, we examined the effects of interleukin (IL)-10 expression-inducing bacteria Bifidobacterium adolescentis HP1, Lactobacillus mucosae HP2, and Weissella cibaria HP3 on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and liver steatosis in mice. Oral gavage of HP1, HP2, and HP3 reduced HFD-induced bodyweight gain, triglycerides, and total cholesterol levels in the blood and liver. They also suppressed HFD-induced colitis and the fecal δ,γ-Proteobacteria population. Of the tested bacteria, HP2, which most potently inhibited IL-10 expression, also suppressed HFD-induced bodyweight gain, liver steatosis, and colitis most effectively. These findings suggest that IL-10 expression-inducing gut bacteria can suppress obesity and liver steatosis.