Postbiotics: Current Trends in Food and Pharmaceutical Industry

The Microbiome Theory of Aging (MTA)

The Microbiome Theory of Aging (MTA) explains how microbial imbalance in the intestinal tract, which is also referred to as dysbiosis, causes health problems that accelerate biological aging. The underlying mechanisms involved include increased inflammation, elevated levels of zonulin, destruction of intestinal tight junctions, and intestinal permeability, which allow lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to leak into systemic circulation. LPS is a powerful endotoxin that causes chronic inflammation throughout the body. Chronic inflammation is associated with chronic diseases and the acceleration of biological aging. Postbiotic metabolites are compounds that are created by probiotic bacteria in the colon. Postbiotic metabolites have been called the new frontier in microbiome science due to their key roles in regulating the structure and function of the gut microbiome and many aspects of human health.

Suppressive Effect of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris YRC3780 on a Murine Model of Japanese Cedar Pollinosis

Accumulating evidence suggests that Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris YRC3780 isolated from kefir has the potential to alleviate allergic responses. Herein, we investigated the effect of YRC3780 on a murine model of Japanese cedar pollinosis (JCP). BALB/c mice immunized with cedar pollen extract (CPE) exhibited an increase in serum immunoglobulin E and developed nasal inflammatory responses including sneezing, nasal hyperresponsiveness, and nasal eosinophil accumulation upon intranasal allergen challenge. These responses were suppressed by the oral administration of YRC3780, although the effects on CPE-induced sneezing response and eosinophil infiltration were not statistically significant. Total fecal microbiota diversity was not affected by allergen immunization and challenge or by YRC3780 administration. However, the abundances of Bifidobacteriales, Veillonellaceae, Lactococcus, and Lactococcus lactis were larger and that of Bacteroides was smaller in YRC3780-treated mice compared with those in CPE-challenged and YRC3780-untreated mice. Our findings suggest the usefulness of YRC3780 for alleviating JCP.

Application of Cheese Whey Containing Postbiotics of Lactobacillus acidophilus LA5 and Bifidobacterium animalis BB12 as a Preserving Liquid in High-Moisture Mozzarella

High-moisture mozzarella cheese (HMMC) is a highly perishable cheese with a short shelf life. In this study, the effects of UF cheese whey containing postbiotics from Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 (P-LA-5), Bifidobacterium animalis BB-12 (P-BB-12), and their combination on the microbial (i.e., psychrophiles, mesophiles, lactic acid bacteria, and mold-yeast population) and sensory properties of HMMC were investigated. Postbiotics were prepared in a cheese whey model medium as a novel growth media and used as a preserving liquid in HMMC. The results demonstrate that postbiotics reduced the growth of all microorganisms (1.5-2 log CFU/g reduction) and P-LA5 and P-BB12 had the highest antibacterial performance on mesophiles and psychrophiles, respectively. Mold and yeast had the highest susceptibility to the postbiotics. Postbiotics showed a significant effect on maintaining the microbial quality of HMMC during storage, proposing postbiotics as a new preserving liquid for HMMC.