Functional Efficacy of Probiotic Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis in Apple, Orange and Tomato Juices with Special Reference to Storage Stability and In Vitro Gastrointestinal Survival

Comparative Genomics Reveals Genetic Diversity and Variation in Metabolic Traits in Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis Strains

Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis is a significant and dominant bacterial species of sourdough microbiota from ecological and functional perspectives. Despite the remarkable prevalence of different strains of this species in sourdoughs worldwide, the drivers behind the genetic diversity of this species needed to be clarified. In this research, 14 F. sanfranciscensis strains were isolated from sourdough samples to evaluate the genetic diversity and variation in metabolic traits. These 14 and 31 other strains (obtained from the NCBI database) genomes were compared. The values for genome size and GC content, on average, turned out to 1.31 Mbp and 34.25%, respectively. In 45 F. sanfranciscensis strains, there were 162 core genes and 0 to 51 unique genes present in each strain. The primary functions of core genes were related to nucleotide, lipid transport, and amino acid, as well as carbohydrate metabolism. The size of core genes accounted for 41.18% of the pan-genome size in 14 F. sanfranciscensis strains, i.e., 0.70 Mbp of 1.70 Mbp. There were genetic variations among the 14 strains involved in carbohydrate utilization and antibiotic resistance. Moreover, exopolysaccharides biosynthesis-related genes were annotated, including epsABD, wxz, wzy. The Type IIA & IE CRISPR-Cas systems, pediocin PA-1 and Lacticin_3147_A1 bacteriocins operons were also discovered in F. sanfranciscensis. These findings can help to select desirable F. sanfranciscensis strains to develop standardized starter culture for sourdough fermentation, and expect to provide traditional fermented pasta with a higher quality and nutritional value for the consumers.

Oral Delivery of Bioactive Glass-Loaded Core-Shell Hydrogel Microspheres for Effective Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Resolving inflammation and promoting intestinal tissue regeneration are critical for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment. Bioactive glass (BG) is a clinically approved bone graft material and has been shown to modulate inflammatory response, but it is unknown whether BG can be applied to treat IBD. Here, it is reported that BG attenuates pro-inflammatory response of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages and hence reduces inflammatory damage to intestinal organoids in vitro. In addition, zein/sodium alginate-based core-shell microspheres (Zein/SA/BG) are developed for oral delivery of BG, which helps prevent premature dissolution of BG in the stomach. The results show that Zein/SA/BG protects BG from a gastric-simulated environment while dissolved in an intestinal-simulated environment. When administered to acute and chronic colitis mice model, Zein/SA/BG significantly reduces intestinal inflammation, promotes epithelial tissue regeneration, and partially restores microbiota homeostasis. These findings are the first to reveal the therapeutic efficacy of BG against IBD, which may provide a new therapeutic approach at low cost for effective IBD treatment.

Viability of Probiotic Microorganisms and the Effect of Their Addition to Fruit and Vegetable Juices

Consumers' recent interest in healthier diets has increased the demand for food products with functional properties, such as probiotics. However, most probiotic food types available on the market are of dairy origin, which limits their consumption by individuals with food intolerances and by those who adhere to strict vegan and vegetarian diets. The aim of the current review is to assess both the limitations and impacts of the addition of probiotic microorganisms to fruit, vegetable, and/or mixed juices. Thus, an integrative literature review was herein carried out. A bibliographic survey was carried out in the following databases: Lilacs, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Scielo. In addition, searches for studies published in English from 2010 to 2021 were carried out, based on the following meshes: "fruit", ''vegetable", ''juice", and "probiotics", which were used both in combination with each other and with Boolean operators such as "AND" and "OR". Although 254 articles were initially found in the literature search, only 21 of them were selected to compose the final sample. The included studies mainly addressed microorganism viability and physicochemical analyses. Overall, fruit and/or vegetable juices can be suitable matrices used to help the development of probiotic food types. However, the microorganisms added to these products must be capable of adapting to and surviving in them to enable a product's success. Therefore, factors such as pH, fiber content, amino acids, and phenolic compounds play an essential role in the survival of probiotic microorganisms. Given the wide variety of analyses, a comparison between parameters was the major limitation of the present study. Future studies should focus on filling the gaps persisting in the development of probiotic fruit and/or vegetable juices as well as mixed juices.

Stability and Survivability of Alginate Gum-Coated Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in Simulated Gastrointestinal Conditions and Probiotic Juice Development

Survivability of probiotics is severely affected by harsh gastrointestinal conditions. In the present study, microbeads of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG were formulated using alginate (1.5% w/v) and combination of alginate (1.5% w/v) with xanthan gum (0.5% w/v) through an emulsion technique to improve bacterial viability in low pH orange juice and in gastrointestinal conditions. The microbeads were tested for encapsulation efficiency, survivability in bile salt, SGF (simulated gastric juice), SIF (simulated intestinal fluid), and storage stability. Probiotic orange juice was formulated and tested for physicochemical parameters (pH, titratable acidity, and total sugars) and sensorial properties during storage. Gum-coated alginate microbeads (T3) showed higher encapsulation efficiency, i.e., 95.2% compared to alginate microbeads (T2), i.e., 86.85%. Similarly, T3 showed the highest resistance against bile salt (8.50 log CFU/g), SGF (7.95 log CFU/g), and SIF (8.0 log CFU/g) during 80 min exposure compared to T2 and free cells. The viability of gum-coated alginate beads (T3) remained above 107 CFU/g in gastrointestinal conditions and at the end of 21 days storage (8.3 log CFU/mL). All physicochemical parameters of probiotic juice were significantly ( $p\le 0.05$ ) decreased with respect to storage except acidity. In addition, minimal changes in physicochemical parameters were observed in T3 compared to other treatments. Treatment had no significant impact on the sensory characteristics of juice, but storage had a significant effect ( $p\le 0.05$ ) on the sensory characteristics of juice. The alginate gum microbeads improve the survivability of probiotics for targeted delivery. Hence, encapsulated probiotics can be used for functional beverage development to take advantage of their therapeutic benefits.

Application of ultrasound and microencapsulation on Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 as a metabolic attenuation strategy for tomato juice probiotication

Counteracting probiotic-induced physicochemical and sensory changes is a challenge in the development of probiotic beverages. The aim of the study is to apply ultrasound and microencapsulation for the attenuation of Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 to avoid change in a probiotic tomato juice. Preliminarily, six ultrasound treatments were applied. Probiotic survival in acid environment (pH 2.5) and bile salts (1.5 g/l) after ultrasound treatment was also studied. The probiotic was inoculated in tomato juice in four forms: free cells (PRO-TJ), sonicated-free cells (US-TJ), untreated-microencapsulated (PRO-MC-TJ) and sonicated-microencapsulated cells (US-MC-TJ). Probiotic viability and pH were monitored during 28 days of storage at 4 and 20 °C. Sensory analysis was performed for PRO-TJ and US-MC-TJ sample (4 °C). Ultrasound (57 W for 6 min) did not affect cell survival and transitorily modulated probiotic acidifying capacity; it reduced probiotic survival in acidic environment but increased probiotic survival in bile salts solution. Ultrasound was effective in maintain pH value of tomato juice but only at 4 °C. Instead, microencapsulation with sodium-alginate leads to a more stable probiotic juice, particularly at 20 °C. Finally, probiotication slightly modified some sensory attributes of the juice. This study shows the potential of ultrasound and microencapsulation as attenuation strategies and highlights the need for process optimization to increase ultrasound efficacy.

Fruit juices as a carrier of probiotics to modulate gut phenolics and microbiota

Here we attempted to deliver probiotics to the human gut using fruit juices as a carrier, which is less common despite the newest trend to incorporate probiotics into non-dairy food. Phenolic-rich fruit juices, including blueberry, black cherry, concord grape and pomegranate were fortified with Lactobacillus casei, and then compared and comprehensively assessed to develop novel non-fermented probiotic juices. In black cherry juice, probiotics had the most significant retention of viability after 14 days of storage at 4 °C, the least reduction in phenolics (14.59%) after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, the highest concentration of phenolic metabolites and a significant increase in anaerobic bacteria after faecal fermentation (48 h). 16s rRNA gene sequencing showed that probiotic-enriched juice treatments were associated with highly distinctive Bacteroidota and Bacteroides vulgatus population. Overall, black cherry juice has the highest potential to be developed as a probiotic carrier with benefits in modulating the gut microbiota.

The Mechanisms of the Potential Probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum against Cardiovascular Disease and the Recent Developments in its Fermented Foods

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become the leading cause of death worldwide. Many recent studies have pointed out that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (Lb. plantarum) has great potential in reducing the risk of CVD. Lb. plantarum is a kind of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) widely distributed in fermented food and the human intestinal tract, some strains of which have important effects on human health and the potential to be developed into probiotics. In this review, we summarize the mechanism of potential probiotic strains of Lb. plantarum against CVD. It could regulate the body’s metabolism at the molecular, cellular, and population levels, thereby lowering blood glucose and blood lipids, regulating blood pressure, and ultimately reducing the incidence of CVD. Furthermore, since Lb. plantarum is widely utilized in food industry, we highlight some of the most important new developments in fermented food for combating CVD; providing an insight into these fermented foods can assist scientists in improving the quality of these foods as well as alleviating patients’ CVD symptoms. We hope that in the future functional foods fermented by Lb. plantarum can be developed and incorporated into the daily diet to assist medication in alleviating CVD to some extent, and maintaining good health.

Identification and characterisation of blue light photoreceptor gene family and their expression in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) under cold stress

The Arabidopsis thaliana L. photoreceptor genes homologues in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) genome were analysed using bioinformatic tools. The expression pattern of these genes under cold stress was also evaluated. Transcriptome analysis of the tomato sequence revealed that the photoreceptor gene family is involved in abiotic stress tolerance. They participate in various pathways and controlling multiple metabolic processes. They are structurally related to PAS, LIGHT-OXYGEN-VOLTAGE-SENSING (LOV), DNA photolyase, 5,10-methenyl tetrahydrofolate (MTHF), flavin-binding kelch F-box, GAF, PHY, Seven-bladed β-propeller and C27 domains. They also interact with flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), (5S)-5-methyl-2-(methylsulfanyl)-5-phenyl-3-(phenylamino)-3,5-dihydro-4H-imidazol-4-one (FNM) and Phytochromobilin (PϕB) ligands. These interactions help to create a cascade of protein phosphorylation involving in cell defence transcription or stress-regulated genes. They localisation of these gene families on tomato chromosomes appeared to be uneven. Phylogenetic tree of tomato and Arabidopsis photoreceptor gene family were classified into eight subgroups, indicating gene expression diversity. Morphological and physiological assessment revealed no dead plant after 4h of cold treatment. All the plants were found to be alive, but there were some variations in the data across different parameters. Cold stress significantly reduced the rate of photosynthesis from 10.06 to 3.16μmolm-2 s-1 , transpiration from 4.6 to 1.3mmolm-2 s-1 , and stomatal conductance from 94.6 to 25.6mmolm-2 s-1 . The cold stressed plants also had reduced height, root/shoot length, and fresh/dry biomass weight than the control plants. Relative expression analysis under cold stress revealed that after 4h, light stimulates the transcript level of Cry2 from 1.9 to 5.7 and PhyB from 0.98 to 6.9 compared to other photoreceptor genes.

Nondairy Probiotic Products: Functional Foods That Require More Attention

The potential health benefits of probiotics have been illustrated by many studies. However, most functional foods containing probiotics are from dairy sources. This review provides an overview of potential strains and raw materials for nondairy probiotic products together with the role of its in vitro assessment. Probiotic-containing products from raw nondairy materials are known both in terms of quality and nutritional values. The sensory properties of raw plant-based materials are generally improved as a result of fermentation with probiotics. Increased market shares for plant-based probiotic products may also help to curb environmental challenges. The sustainability of this food results from reductions in land use, greenhouse gas emissions, and water use during production. Consuming nondairy probiotic food can be a personal step to contribute to climate change mitigation. Since some people cannot or do not want to eat dairy products, this creates a market gap in the supply of nutritious food. Therefore, the promotion and broader development of these foods are needed. Expanding our knowledge on how to best produce these functional foods and increasing our understanding of their in vivo behaviours are crucial. The latter may be efficiently achieved by utilizing available in vitro digestion systems that reliably recapitulate the in vivo situation without introducing any ethical concerns.

Advancements in the Use of Fermented Fruit Juices by Lactic Acid Bacteria as Functional Foods: Prospects and Challenges of Lactiplantibacillus (Lpb.) plantarum subsp. plantarum Application

Lactic acid fermentation of fresh fruit juices is a low-cost and sustainable process, that aims to preserve and even enhance the organoleptic and nutritional features of the raw matrices and extend their shelf life. Selected Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) were evaluated in the fermentation of various fruit juices, leading in some cases to fruit beverages, with enhanced nutritional and sensorial characteristics. Among LAB, Lactiplantibacillus (Lpb.) plantarum subsp. plantarum strains are quite interesting, regarding their application in the fermentation of a broad range of plant-derived substrates, such as vegetables and fruit juices, since they have genome plasticity and high versatility and flexibility. L. plantarum exhibits a remarkable portfolio of enzymes that make it very important and multi-functional in fruit juice fermentations. Therefore, L. plantarum has the potential for the production of various bioactive compounds, which enhance the nutritional value and the shelf life of the final product. In addition, L. plantarum can positively modify the flavor of fruit juices, leading to higher content of desirable volatile compounds. All these features are sought in the frame of this review, aiming at the potential and challenges of L. plantarum applications in the fermentation of fruit juices.

Influence of fruit-based beverages on efficacy of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) against DSS-induced intestinal inflammation

Different lines of evidences from clinical, epidemiological and biochemical studies have established that optimal nutrition including probiotic and fruit phenolics can mitigate the risk and morbidity associated with some chronic diseases. The basis for this observation is the potential synergies that may exist between probiotic strains and different bioactive components of food matrices. This study was conceptualized to compare the efficiency of a probiotic strain in two different fruit matrices. Two fruits, viz., sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) (SBT) and apples (Malus pumila) (APJ) were chosen and the anti-inflammatory effects of L. rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) (LR) fortified in SBT and APJ were analysed against dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) induced colitis in zebrafish (Danio rerio). The results showed that administration of probiotic (LR) fortified, malt supplemented SBT beverage (SBT + M + LR) had better restorative potential on the intestinal barrier function and mucosal damage, in comparison to LR fortified, malt supplemented APJ beverage (APJ + M + LR). SBT + M + LR demonstrated adequate anti-oxidant potential by enhancing the CAT, SOD, GPx and GSH activities, impaired due to DSS administration. The increase in the expressions of toll like receptor (TLR)-2, TLR-4 and TLR-5 induced by DSS were significantly inhibited by SBT + M + LR administration. Gene expression of pro-inflammatory markers, (NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, CCL20, MPO and MMP9) were attenuated by SBT + M + LR treatment in intestinal tissues of DSS-treated zebrafishes. Notably, SBT + M + LR increased the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10. The study provides evidence that specific interactions between fruit matrix and probiotic strain can provide adjunct therapeutic strategy to manage intestinal inflammation.

Antioxidants Bioaccessibility and Lactobacillus salivarius (CECT 4063) Survival Following the In Vitro Digestion of Vacuum Impregnated Apple Slices: Effect of the Drying Technique, the Addition of Trehalose, and High-Pressure Homogenization

To benefit the health of consumers, bioactive compounds must reach an adequate concentration at the end of the digestive process. This involves both an effective release from the food matrix where they are contained and a high resistance to exposure to gastrointestinal conditions. Accordingly, this study evaluates the impact of trehalose addition (10% w/w) and homogenization (100 MPa), together with the structural changes induced in vacuum impregnated apple slices (VI) by air-drying (AD) and freeze-drying (FD), on Lactobacillus salivarius spp. salivarius (CECT 4063) survival and the bioaccessibility of antioxidants during in vitro digestion. Vacuum impregnated apple slices conferred maximum protection to the lactobacillus strain during its passage through the gastrointestinal tract, whereas drying with air reduced the final content of the living cells to values below 10 cfu/g. The bioaccessibility of antioxidants also reached the highest values in the VI samples, in which the release of both the total phenols and total flavonoids to the liquid phase increased with in vitro digestion. The addition of trehalose and homogenization at 100 MPa increased the total bioaccessibility of antioxidants in FD and AD apples and the total bioaccessibility of flavonoids in the VI samples. Homogenizing at 100 MPa also increased the survival of L. salivarius during in vitro digestion in FD samples.

Herbal hydrogel-based encapsulated Enterococcus faecium ABRIINW.N7 improves the resistance of red hybrid tilapia against Streptococcus iniae

AIMS

The streptococcal disease has been associated with serious mortality and significant global economic loss in the tilapia farming industry. The overall goal of this work was to test herbal hydrogels based on encapsulated Enterococcus faecium ABRIINW.N7 for potential probiotic anti-microbial activity against Streptococcus iniae in red hybrid tilapia.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Abnormal behaviour, clinical signs, postinjection survival and histopathology (kidney, liver, eye and brain) were measured. Cumulative mortality of CON⁺ , free cells, ALG and treatments (F1-F7) was 30, 24, 22, 19, 17, 17, 16, 14, 14 and 12 out of 30 fish and the survival rates for E. faecium ABRIINW.N7 microencapsulated in an alginate-BS blend with 0·5, 1, 1·5, 2, 2·5 and 3% fenugreek were 43, 43, 47, 53, 53 and 60%, respectively. After the incorporation of fenugreek with the alginate-BS blend, there was an 8-21% increase in probiotic cell viability. Furthermore, the survival rate for the alginate-BS blend with 2·5 and 3% fenugreek (F6 and F7) was significantly (P ≤ 0·05) higher than other blends. The highest encapsulation efficiency, viability in gastrointestinal conditions and during storage time and excellent antipathogenicity against S. iniae were observed in alginate-BS +3% fenugreek formulation (F7).

CONCLUSIONS

It is recommended that probiotic strains like E. faecium ABRIINW.N7 in combination with local herbal gums, such as BS and fenugreek plus alginate, can be used as a suitable scaffold and an ideal matrix for the encapsulation of probiotics.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study proposes models connecting process parameters, matrix structure and functionality.

Probiotic Yogurt Fortified with Chickpea Flour: Physico-Chemical Properties and Probiotic Survival during Storage and Simulated Gastrointestinal Transit

In the present study, probiotic yogurt with Lactobacillus acidophilus LA5 and Bifidobacterium BB12 was produced via fortification with chickpea flour (0, 1, 2.5, 5% w/v). During refrigerated storage for five weeks, probiotics maintained a viable count above the minimum therapeutic level (106 CFU/g) in all yogurt types. Although there was no significant (p > 0.05) positive effect of chickpea flour on probiotic viability during storage, the addition of chickpea flour has beneficial effects on the viability of both probiotic species in the presence of gastric and intestinal juices, with 0.3% bile. This study also evaluated the physio-chemical properties of probiotic yogurt during storage. Some physicochemical properties of yogurt, such as water holding capacity and susceptibility to syneresis, were enhanced by the addition of chickpea flour. Hence, chickpea flour could be an attractive pulse ingredient in the production of probiotic yogurts for health-conscious consumers.

Fermentation of Foods and Beverages as a Tool for Increasing Availability of Bioactive Compounds. Focus on Short-Chain Fatty Acids

Emerging evidence suggests that fermentation, historically used for the preservation of perishable foods, may be considered as a useful tool for increasing the nutritional value of fermented products, in terms of increases in bioactive compound content, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), as bacteria end-products, whose beneficial effects on human health are well-established. The purpose of the present manuscript is to summarize studies in this field, providing evidence about this novel potential of fermentation. A limited number of studies directly investigated the increased SCFA levels in fermented foods. All studies, however, agree in confirming that levels of SCFAs in fermented products are higher than in unfermented products, recognizing the key role played by the microorganisms in metabolizing food matrices, producing and releasing bioactive substances. According to the available literature, fermentation might be taken into account by the food industry as a natural strategy with no environmental impacts to produce functional foods and beverages with a higher nutritional value and health-promoting compounds.