Modulation of the Gut Microbiome and Obesity Biomarkers by Lactobacillus Plantarum KC28 in a Diet-Induced Obesity Murine Model

Anti-obesity potentiality of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum E2_MCCKT isolated from a fermented beverage, haria: a high fat diet-induced obese mice model study

Obesity is a growing epidemic worldwide. Several pharmacologic drugs are being used to treat obesity but these medicines exhibit side effects. To find out the alternatives of these drugs, we aimed to assess the probiotic properties and anti-obesity potentiality of a lactic acid bacterium E2_MCCKT, isolated from a traditional fermented rice beverage, haria. Based on the 16S rRNA sequencing, the bacterium was identified as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum E2_MCCKT. The bacterium exhibited in vitro probiotic activity in terms of high survivability in an acidic environment and 2% bile salt, moderate auto-aggregation, and hydrophobicity. Later, E2_MCCKT was applied to obese mice to prove its anti-obesity potentiality. Adult male mice (15.39 ± 0.19 g) were randomly divided into three groups (n = 5) according to the type of diet: normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD supplemented with E2_MCCKT (HFT). After four weeks of bacterial treatment on the obese mice, a significant reduction of body weight, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels, whereas, improvements in serum glucose levels were observed. The bacterial therapy led to mRNA up-regulation of lipolytic transcription factors such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α which may increase the expression of fatty acid oxidation-related genes such as acyl-CoA oxidase and carnitine palmitoyl-transferase-1. Concomitantly, both adipocytogenesis and fatty acid synthesis were arrested as reflected by the down-regulation of sterol-regulatory element-binding protein-1c, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and fatty acid synthase genes. In protein expression study, E2_MCCKT significantly increased IL-10 expression while decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1Ra and TNF-α) expression. In conclusion, the probiotic Lp. plantarum E2_MCCKT might have significant anti-obesity effects on mice.

Polyfunctional sugar-free white chocolate fortified with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG co-encapsulated with beet residue extract (Beta vulgaris L.)

Chocolate is a worldwide consumed food. This study investigated the fortification of sugar-free white chocolate with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG microcapsule co-encapsulated with beet residue extract. The chocolates were evaluated for moisture, water activity, texture, color properties, melting, physicochemical, and probiotic stability during storage. Furthermore, the survival of L. rhamnosus GG and the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds were investigated under in vitro simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Regarding the characterization of probiotic microcapsules, the encapsulation efficiency of L. rhamnosus GG was > 89 % while the encapsulation efficiency of phenolic compounds was > 62 %. Chocolates containing probiotic microcapsules were less hard and resistant to breakage. All chocolates had a similar melting behavior (endothermic peaks between 32.80 and 34.40 °C). After 120 days of storage at 4 °C, probiotic populations > 6.77 log CFU/g were detected in chocolate samples. This result demonstrates the potential of this matrix to carry L. rhamnosus GG cells. Regarding the resistance of probiotic strains during gastric simulation, the co-encapsulation of L. rhamnosus GG with beet extract contributed to high counts during gastrointestinal transit, reaching the colon (48 h) with viable cell counts equal to 11.80 log CFU/g. Finally, one of our main findings was that probiotics used phenolic compounds as a substrate source, which may be an observed prebiotic effect.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 06CC2 upregulates intestinal ZO-1 protein and bile acid metabolism in Balb/c mice fed high-fat diet

The effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 06CC2 (LP06CC2), which was isolated from a Mongolian dairy product, on lipid metabolism and intestinal tight junction-related proteins in Balb/c mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) were evaluated. The mice were fed the HFD for eight weeks, and the plasma and hepatic lipid parameters, as well as the intestinal tight junction-related factors, were evaluated. LP06CC2 slightly reduced the adipose tissue mass. Further, it dose-dependently decreased plasma total cholesterol (TC). The HFD tended to increase the plasma level of endotoxin and suppressed intestinal ZO-1 expression, whereas a low LP06CC2 dose increased ZO-1 expression and tended to reduce the plasma lipopolysaccharide level. Furthermore, a low LP06CC2 dose facilitated a moderate accumulation of Lactobacillales, a significant decrease in Clostridium cluster IV, and an increase in Clostridium cluster XVIII. The results obtained from analyzing the bile acids (BAs) in feces and cecum contents exhibited a decreasing trend for secondary and conjugated BAs in the low LP06CC2-dose group. Moreover, a high LP06CC2 dose caused excess accumulation of Lactobacillales and failed to increase intestinal ZO-1 and occludin expression, while the fecal butyrate level increased dose dependently in the LP06CC2-fed mice. Finally, an appropriate LP06CC2 dose protected the intestinal barrier function from the HFD and modulated BA metabolism.

Membrane Emulsification as an Emerging Method for Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG® Encapsulation

Techniques capable of producing small-sized probiotic microcapsules with high encapsulation yields are of industrial and scientific interest. In this study, an innovative membrane emulsification system was investigated in the production of microcapsules containing Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG® (Lr), sodium alginate (ALG), and whey protein (WPI), rice protein (RPC), or pea protein (PPC) as encapsulating agents. The microcapsules were characterized by particle size distribution, optical microscopy, encapsulation yield, morphology, water activity, hygroscopicity, thermal properties, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and probiotic survival during in vitro simulation of gastrointestinal conditions. The innovative encapsulation technique resulted in microcapsules with diameters varying between 18 and 29 μm, and encapsulation yields > 93%. Combining alginate and whey, rice, or pea protein improved encapsulation efficiency and thermal properties. The encapsulation provided resistance to gastrointestinal fluids, resulting in high probiotic viability at the end of the intestinal phase (> 7.18 log CFU g-1). The proposed encapsulation technology represents an attractive alternative to developing probiotic microcapsules for future food applications.

Graphical Abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11947-023-03099-w.

Compound Probiotic Ameliorates Acute Alcoholic Liver Disease in Mice by Modulating Gut Microbiota and Maintaining Intestinal Barrier

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a worldwide health threaten lack of effective treatment. Gut dysbiosis and concomitant augmented intestinal permeability are strongly implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of ALD. Research on the protective effect of probiotics on ALD is limited, and more effective intestinal microecological regulators and the related mechanisms still need to be further explored. In the present study, the protective effects and mechanisms of a compound probiotic against acute alcohol-induced liver injury in vivo were explod. It was showed that the compound probiotic ameliorated liver injury in acute ALD mice and stabilized the levels of ALT, AST, and TG in serum. The compound probiotic reversed acute alcohol-induced gut dysbiosis and maintained the intestinal barrier integrity by upregulating the production of mucus and the expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins and thus reduced LPS level in liver. Meanwhile, the compound probiotic reduced inflammation level by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and suppressed oxidative stress level in liver. Furthermore, the compound probiotic alleviated liver lipid accumulation by regulating fatty acid metabolism-associated genes and AMPK-PPARα signaling pathway. Noteworthy, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) realized comparable protective effect with that of compound probiotic. In conclusion, present study demonstrates the beneficial effects and underlying mechanism of the compound probiotic against acute alcohol-induced liver injury. It provides clues for development of novel strategy for treatment of ALD.

Metabolomic Characteristics of Liver and Cecum Contents in High-Fat-Diet-Induced Obese Mice Intervened with Lactobacillus plantarum FRT10

Obesity has become a major social problem related to health and quality of life. Our previous work demonstrated that Lactobacillus plantarum FRT10 alleviated obesity in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice by alleviating gut dysbiosis. However, the underlying functions of FRT10 in regulating liver and cecum contents metabolism remain unknown. Liver and cecum contents metabonomics combined with pathway analysis based on ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS) were performed to evaluate the alterations of metabolic profiles between obese control mice and obese mice in FRT10-treated groups. The orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) score plots showed that there were significant differences in cecum contents and liver markers between experimental groups. In total, 26 potential biomarkers were identified in the liver and 15 in cecum contents that could explain the effect of FRT10 addition in HFD-fed mice. In addition, gut–liver axis analysis indicated that there was a strong correlation between cecum contents metabolites and hepatic metabolites. The mechanism of FRT10 against obesity might be related to the alterations in glycerophospholipid metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis, amino metabolism, and purine and pyrimidine metabolism. Studies on these metabolites could help us better understand the role of FRT10 in obesity induced by HFD.

Baicalin and the liver-gut system: Pharmacological bases explaining its therapeutic effects

With the development of high-throughput screening and bioinformatics technology, natural products with a range of pharmacological targets in multiple diseases have become important sources of new drug discovery. These compounds are derived from various plants, including the dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, which is often used as a traditional Chinese herb named Huangqin, a popular medication used for thousands of years in China. Many studies have shown that baicalin, an extract from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, exerts various protective effects on liver and gut diseases. Baicalin plays a therapeutic role mainly by mediating downstream apoptosis and immune response pathways induced by upstream oxidative stress and inflammation. During oxidative stress regulation, PI3K/Akt/NRF2, Keap-1, NF-κB and HO-1 are key factors associated with the healing effects of baicalin on NAFLD/NASH, ulcerative colitis and cholestasis. In the inflammatory response, IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, MIP-2 and MIP-1α are involved in the alleviation of NAFLD/NASH, cholestasis and liver fibrosis by baicalin, as are TGF-β1/Smads, STAT3 and NF-κB. Regarding the apoptosis pathway, Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 are key factors related to the suppression of hepatocellular carcinoma and attenuation of liver injury and colorectal cancer. In addition to immune regulation, PD-1/PDL-1 and TLR4-NF-κB are correlated with the alleviation of hepatocellular carcinoma, ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer by baicalin. Moreover, baicalin regulates intestinal flora by promoting the production of SCFAs. Furthermore, BA is involved in the interactions of the liver-gut axis by regulating TGR5, FXR, bile acids and the microbiota. In general, a comprehensive analysis of this natural compound was conducted to determine the mechanism by which it regulates bile acid metabolism, the intestinal flora and related signaling pathways, providing new insights into the pharmacological effects of baicalin. The mechanism linking the liver and gut systems needs to be elucidated to draw attention to its great clinical importance.