Exploring the Potential of Postbiotics for Food Safety and Human Health Improvement

Food safety is a global concern, with millions suffering from foodborne diseases annually. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports significant morbidity and mortality associated with contaminated food consumption, and this emphasizes the critical need for comprehensive food safety measures. Recent attention has turned to postbiotics, metabolic byproducts of probiotics, as potential agents for enhancing food safety. Postbiotics, including organic acids, enzymes, and bacteriocins, exhibit antimicrobial and antioxidant properties that do not require live organisms, and this offers advantages over probiotics. This literature review critically examines the role of postbiotics in gut microbiome modulation and applications in the food industry. Through an extensive review of existing literature, this study evaluates the impact of postbiotics on gut microbiome composition and their potential as functional food ingredients. Research indicates that postbiotics are effective in inhibiting food pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, and Escherichia coli, as well as their ability to prevent oxidative stress-related diseases, and they also show promise as alternatives to conventional food preservatives that can extend food shelf life by inhibiting harmful bacterial growth. Their application in functional foods contributes to improved gut health and reduced risk of foodborne illnesses. Findings suggest that postbiotics hold promise for improving health and preservation by inhibiting pathogenic bacteria growth and modulating immune responses.

Weizmannia coagulans Extracellular Proteins Reduce Skin Acne by Inhibiting Pathogenic Bacteria and Regulating TLR2/TRAF6-Mediated NF-κB and MAPKs Signaling Pathways

As a probiotic, Weizmannia coagulans (W. coagulans) is often used in food and medicine to regulate intestinal flora and exert anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, the anti-acne efficacy and mechanism of extracellular proteins (YTCY-EPs) from W. coagulans YTCY strain are analyzed. The main components of YTCY-EPs, extracted and separated from the fermentation broth, are peptides ranging from 1.51 to 11.44 kDa, accounting for about 80%. Among the peptides identified by LC/MS-MS, YTCY_A-F possess the properties of antimicrobial peptides, while YTCY_1-4 possess antioxidative properties. These peptides have a strong effect on Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) and significantly inhibit Staphylococcus aureus. The inhibition rate of biofilm adhesion of YT-EPs to C. acnes reached 50% under the MIC. It was found that YTCY-EPs possess strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It can effectively reduce active oxygen nearly 3 times and can reduce the downstream TLR2/NF-κB and MAPKs/AP-1 pathways by regulating the nuclear translocation of NF-κB and AP-1 in vitro. The transcriptional expression of inflammatory cytokines, inflammatory chemokines, and matrix metalloproteinase genes is also regulated, thereby slowing the recruitment of inflammatory cells and the development of inflammation, and increasing keratinocyte mobility. In addition, the expression levels of inflammatory factors and matrix metalloproteinases in the rabbit ears with acne problems that were tested with YTCY-EPs were significantly reduced, and it was obviously observed that the rabbit ear inflammation, acne, and keratinization problems were repaired. The results of this study prove that YTCY-EPs can be used as a potential anti-acne raw material in cosmetics.

Probiotic and Antifungal Attributes of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolates from Naturally Fermented Brazilian Table Olives

Research with fermented olives as a source of wild Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) strains with probiotic and biotechnological characteristics constitutes a promising field of work. The present study evaluated in vitro probiotic, antifungal, and antimycotoxigenic potential of LAB isolates from naturally fermented Brazilian table olives. Among fourteen LAB isolates, the Levilactobacillus brevis CCMA 1762, Lactiplantibacillus pentosus CCMA 1768, and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei CCMA 1770 showed potential probiotic and antifungal properties. The isolates showed resistance to pH 2.0 (survival ≥ 84.55), bile salts (survival ≥ 99.44), and gastrointestinal tract conditions (survival ≥ 57.84%); hydrophobic cell surface (≥27%); auto-aggregation (≥81.38%); coaggregation with Escherichia coli INCQS 00181 (≥33.97%) and Salmonella Enteritidis ATCC 564 (≥53.84%); adhesion to the epithelial cell line Caco-2 (≥5.04%); antimicrobial activity against the bacteria S. Enteritidis ATCC 564 (≥6 mm), Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19117 (≥6 mm), Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 8702 (≥3 mm), and the fungi Penicillium nordicum MUM 08.16 (inhibition ≥ 64.8%). In addition, the strains showed the ability to adsorb the mycotoxins aflatoxin B1 (≥40%) and ochratoxin A (≥34%). These results indicate that LAB strains from naturally fermented Brazilian table olives are potentially probiotic and antifungal candidates that can be used for food biopreservation.