Pediococcus acidilactici FZU106 alleviates high-fat diet-induced lipid metabolism disorder in association with the modulation of intestinal microbiota in hyperlipidemic rats

Research Progress on the Mechanism of Action and Screening Methods of Probiotics for Lowering Blood Lipid Levels

Hyperlipidemia is one of the most prevalent metabolic disorders worldwide. It is a significant risk factor for a range of cardiovascular diseases, including acute pancreatitis, fatty liver disease, atherosclerosis, and coronary heart disease. In clinical practice, the management of hyperlipidemia is hindered by numerous challenges. One of the critical issues is that traditional lipid-lowering drugs often require long-term or even lifelong administration, potentially inducing a range of adverse effects that compromise patient compliance and therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop safer and more effective strategies for the prevention and adjunctive treatment of hyperlipidemia with the aim of reducing the risk of disease and over-reliance on medication. Recent studies have revealed a close relationship between hyperlipidemia and related metabolic disorders involving gut microbiota dysbiosis, and the administration of probiotics has been shown to improve lipid metabolism homeostasis. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms of probiotics in hyperlipidemia treatment and the latest advances in probiotic research on lipid metabolism, enumerates the experimental and clinical applications of probiotic-based therapies, introduces methods for screening and identifying probiotics with lipid-lowering functions, and, for the first time, summarizes the roles of emerging technologies such as functional genomics and in vivo zebrafish-on-a-chip models in studying the lipid-lowering efficacy of probiotics, providing insights for researchers. By facilitating a deeper understanding of the mechanisms whereby probiotics reduce blood lipid levels and furthering the development of multifaceted screening methods, we hope that we can achieve high-throughput and efficient screening of probiotics with lipid-lowering functions, thereby promoting the sustainable, high-quality, and rapid development of the probiotics industry.

Therapeutic Role of Probiotics Against Environmental-Induced Hepatotoxicity: Mechanisms, Clinical Perspectives, Limitations, and Future

Hepatotoxicity is one of the biggest health challenges, particularly in the context of liver diseases, often aggravated by gut microbiota dysbiosis. The gut-liver axis has been regarded as a key idea in liver health. It indicates that changes in gut flora caused by various hepatotoxicants, including alcoholism, acetaminophen, carbon tetrachloride, and thioacetamide, can affect the balance of the gut's microflora, which may lead to increased dysbiosis and intestinal permeability. As a result, bacterial endotoxins would eventually enter the bloodstream and liver, causing hepatotoxicity and inducing inflammatory reactions. Many treatments, including liver transplantation and modern drugs, can be used to address these issues. However, because of the many side effects of these approaches, scientists and medical experts are still hoping for a therapeutic approach with fewer side effects and more positive results. Thus, probiotics have become well-known as an adjunctive strategy for managing, preventing, or reducing hepatotoxicity in treating liver injury. By altering the gut microbiota, probiotics offer a secure, non-invasive, and economical way to improve liver health in the treatment of hepatotoxicity. Through various mechanisms such as regulation of gut microbiota, reduction of pathogenic overgrowth, suppression of inflammatory mediators, modification of hepatic lipid metabolism, improvement in the performance of the epithelial barrier of the gut, antioxidative effects, and modulation of mucosal immunity, probiotics play their role in the treatment and prevention of hepatotoxicity. This review highlights the mechanistic effects of probiotics in environmental toxicants-induced hepatotoxicity and current findings on this therapeutic approach's experimental and clinical trials.

Collagen peptides alleviate hyperglycemia in mice by modulating insulin resistance, glucose metabolism and gut microbiota

In vitro studies have demonstrated that collagen peptides (CP) inhibit the activity of dipeptidyl peptidase-IV. However, the relationship between the AMPK-mediated insulin signaling pathway and gut microbiota modulation in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) remains underexplored. Current research investigated the hypoglycemic mechanisms associated with CP intervention in a T2DM mouse model induced by a high-fat diet and streptozotocin (STZ). The findings revealed that administering CP (400 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks significantly eased symptoms such as polydipsia, polyphagia, weight loss, and organ damage in diabetic mice. Following CP intervention, diabetic mice exhibited notable reductions in blood glucose and lipid levels, as well as decreased abundance ratios of Firmicutes and Bacteroides, whereas increased short-chain fatty acid concentration in the gut microbiota and the serum GLP-1 level, accompanied by a substantial decrease in the serum insulin resistance index. Furthermore, in the livers of mice post-CP intervention, there was an upregulation of IRS1, the increase of p-AMPK/AMPK and p-GSK3β/GSK3β (P < 0.01), coupled with downregulation of PEPCK and FoxO1 expression (P < 0.05), thereby facilitating glycogen synthesis, regulation of insulin sensitivity, and inhibition of glucose production. These results provide foundational insights into the potential of collagen peptide intervention in managing and preventing T2DM.

Liubao tea extract restrains obesity-related hyperlipidemia via regulation of AMPK/p38/NF-κB pathway and intestinal microbiota

Liubao tea, a traditional dark tea, has gained widespread recognition for various health benefits. In this study, the effects of Liubao tea extract (LTE) on obesity-related hyperlipidemia and the potential mechanism involved were explored. Anti-obesity compounds such as tricetin, isovitexin, tiliroside, etc. in LTE were identified. In high-fat diet mouse models, LTE effectively reduced tissues, organs, and body weight growth, and restored abnormal serum lipid levels. LTE could reverse adipocyte enlargement, lipid accumulation, and hepatic microstructure abnormalities. Notably, LTE reshaped gut microbiota by boosting beneficial bacteria (e.g., Bacteroides, Akkermansia, Psychrobacter) and suppressing harmful bacteria (e.g., Dubosiella, Faecalibaculum). Spearman correlation analysis unveiled significant associations between serum lipid levels, weight gain, LTE dosage, and gut microbiota, underlining the modulatory effects of LTE on metabolic disorders via the regulation of intestinal microbiota. Collectively, LTE could serve as a potential therapy for obesity-related hyperlipidemia prevention.

Pediococcus acidilactici Y01 reduces HFD-induced obesity via altering gut microbiota and metabolomic profiles and modulating adipose tissue macrophage M1/M2 polarization

Obesity-related metabolic syndrome is intimately associated with infiltrated adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs), gut microbiota, and metabolic disorders. Pediococcus acidilactici holds the potential to mitigate obesity; however, there exist strain-specific functionalities and diverse mechanisms, which deserve extensive exploration. This study aims to explore the potential of P. acidilactici Y01, isolated from traditional sour whey, in alleviating HFD-induced metabolic syndrome in mice and elucidating its underlying mechanism. The results showed that P. acidilactici Y01 could inhibit the increase of body weight gain, the deposition of fat, lipid disorders and chronic low-grade inflammation, improve glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, and could reduce adipose tissue inflammation by decreasing M1-type ATMs and increasing M2-type ATMs. Meanwhile, P. acidilactici Y01 significantly increased the abundance of potentially beneficial intestinal bacteria, such as Akkermansia, Alistipes, Bifidobacterium, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Lactobacillus, norank_f__Muribaculaceae, and Parabacteroides, and partially restored the levels of metabolites, such as phosphatidylcholines, glycerophosphocholines, sphingolipids and unsaturated fatty acids. The fecal microbiota transplantation experiment demonstrated that P. acidilactici Y01 ameliorated obesity-related metabolic syndrome by modulating the polarization of M1/M2 ATMs mediated by gut microbiota. Overall, as a dietary supplement, P. acidilactici Y01 has good potential in the prevention and treatment of obesity.

Functional Modulation of Gut Microbiota and Blood Parameters in Diabetic Rats Following Dietary Intervention with Free or Immobilized Pediococcus acidilactici SK Cells on Pistachio Nuts

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

The gut microbiota is linked to the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), while supplementation with probiotics may result in positive alterations in the composition of the gut microbiome. This research aimed to map the changes in the gut microbiome and blood markers of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats after a dietary intervention with free or immobilized cells of the presumptive probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici SK on pistachio nuts.

METHODS

Twenty-four male Wistar rats were studied and divided into four groups (healthy or diabetic) which received the free or the immobilized P. acidilactici SK cells on pistachio nuts for 4 weeks. Blood, fecal, and intestinal tissue samples were examined.

RESULTS

The diabetic rats exhibited an elevated concentration of HDL-c, while the inflammatory IL-1β levels were significantly lower in the diabetic animals that received the immobilized cells compared to the group that received the free cells. The dietary intervention with immobilized cells led to decreased counts of fecal staphylococci and enterococci in the diabetic animals, while the diet with both free and immobilized P. acidilactici SK cells rendered levels of these populations in normal values in the feces and intestinal tissue of the diabetic animals. Noticeably, the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genera were elevated after the supplementation with immobilized P. acidilactici SK cells on pistachio nuts.

CONCLUSIONS

Dietary supplementation with P. acidilactici SK cells (in free or in immobilized form) beneficially affected the gut microbiota/microbiome of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, leading to the alleviation of dysbiosis and inflammation and control over their lipid levels.

Analyzing the gut microbiota and microbial-associated metabolites of tomato-based sauces

Red Cooked Sauce (RCS) and Red Raw Sauce (RRS) are a mixture of natural crops that have a promising content of bioactive compounds (BC). The aim was to determine the effect of the indigestible fraction (IF) during the colonic fermentation in RCS and RRS by studying the two-way relationship between gut microbiota composition and microbial metabolites produced from BC fermented in the TNO in vitro dynamic model of the human colon (TIM-2). Total BC in undigested and predigested RRS, 957 and 715 mg/100 g DW, respectively, was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in the RCS, 571 and 406 mg/100 g DW, respectively. Catenibacterium and Holdemanella increased during RCS fermentation, while 13 genera showed a clear positive correlation with most microbial phenolic metabolites. Our findings suggest that the mechanisms, pathways, and enzymes involved in producing microbial metabolites exhibited uniqueness among bacterial taxa, even within shared genus/family classifications.

Probiotics Enhance Coilia nasus Growth Performance and Nutritional Value by Regulating Glucolipid Metabolism via the Gut-Liver Axis

Large-scale intensive feeding triggered reduced growth performance and nutritional value. Exogenous probiotics can promote the growth performance and nutritional value of fish through improving the intestinal microbiota. However, detailed research on the correlation between the intestinal microbiota, growth performance, and nutritional value remains to be elucidated. Therefore, we performed metagenomic and metabolomic analysis to investigate the effects of probiotic addition to basal diet (1.0 × 108 CFU/g) (PF) and water (1.0 × 108 CFU/g) (PW) on the growth performance, muscle nutritional value, intestinal microbiota and their metabolites, and glucolipid metabolism in Coilia nasus. The results showed that FBW, BL, and SGR were enhanced in PF and PW groups. The concentrations of EAAs, TAAs, SFAs, MUFAs, and PUFAs were increased in PF and PW groups. Metagenomic and metabolic analyses revealed that bacterial community structure and metabolism were changed in the PF and PW groups. Moreover, adding probiotics to diet and water increased SCFAs and bile acids in the intestine. The gene expression associated with lipolysis and oxidation (hsl, pparα, cpt1, and acadm) and glycolysis (gck and pfk) was upregulated, while the gene expression associated with lipid synthesis (srebp1, acc, dgat, and elovl6) and gluconeogenesis (g6pca1, g6pca2, and pck) was downregulated in the liver. Correlation analysis displayed that hepatic glucolipid metabolism was regulated through the microbiota-gut-liver axis. Mantel test analysis showed that growth performance and muscle nutritional value were improved by the gut-liver axis. Our findings offered novel insights into the mechanisms that underlie the enhancement of growth performance and nutritional value in C. nasus and other fish by adding probiotics.

Effect of black soldier fly larvae frass addition on humus content during low temperature co-composting

Initiating aerobic fermentation under low temperature is the main challenge for winter livestock manure composting. This study aims to address this issue by applying black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) frass as a co-composting additive to enhance the low-temperature composting process. Specifically, this work explored the effects of chicken manure and BSFL frass co-composting on the temperature, humus content, and microorganisms with fresh weight ratio of 2:1, 1:1, 1:2 (w/w) at 6 °C. The result showed frass could rapidly rise the temperature to 50 °C and significantly increased the humus content by 15.6 % ∼ 26.3 %. Moreover, microbial analysis revealed that Sphingobacteriaceae accelerated temperature rise via low-temperature reproduction, creating proper temperature for thermophilic bacteria (Truepera and Georgia). Additionally, Cellulomonas and other bacteria promoted organic matter degradation and participated in humus formation. This study presents a novel solution for low-temperature composting, providing practical insights for improving manure management in winter.

Effects of Free or Immobilized Pediococcus acidilactici ORE5 on Corinthian Currants on Gut Microbiome of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of a dietary intervention including free or immobilized cells of the presumptive probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici ORE5 on Corinthian currants, a food with beneficial impact in the condition of Type-1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM), on the microbiome composition of STZ-induced diabetic rats. Twenty four male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n = 6 per group): healthy animals, which received the free (H_FP) or the immobilized Pediococcus acidilactici ORE5 cells (H_IPC), and diabetic animals, which received the free (D_FP) or the immobilized Pediococcus acidilactici ORE5 cells(D_IPC) for 4 weeks (109 cfu/day, in all groups). At the end of the dietary intervention, the D_IPC group exerted a lower concentration of the inflammatory cytokine IL-1 beta compared to D_FP. Consumption of immobilized P. acidilactici ORE5 cells on Corinthian currants by diabetic animals led to increased loads of fecal lactobacilli and lower Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, and Escherichia coli levels, while Actinobacteria phylum, Akkermansia, and Bifidobacterium genera abundances were increased, and fecal lactic acid was elevated. Overall, the results of the present research demonstrated that functional ingredients could ameliorate gut dysbiosis present in T1DM and could be used to design dietary patterns aiming at T1DM management. However, well-designed clinical trials are necessary, in order to confirm the beneficial effects in humans.

Metagenomic insights into traditional fermentation of rice-based beverages among ethnic tribes in southern Assam, Northeast India

Introduction

Traditional fermented foods have long been recognized for their numerous health benefits along with their potential to aid in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. These fermented foods have been shown to promote gut health and contribute to a longer, healthier life.

Methods

The high-throughput sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq platform was employed to investigate the microbiome communities of rice-based fermented beverages consumed by ethnic tribes in Southern Assam, namely Zeme Naga, Dimasa Kachari, Hmar, Karbi and Tea tribes.

Results

The fermented rice-based beverages were highly predominated by Firmicutes, Bacteroides, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria exhibiting the highest relative abundance across all tribes. At genus level, significant abundance of pediococcus, lactobacillus, bacillus, leuconostoc, acetobacter, staphylococcus, delftia, erwinia, klebsiella and chrysebacterium were found amongst these ethnic tribes.

Discussion

Understanding the fermented food microbiome will help to know the relationships between microbial communities and their effect on health of humans amongst the tribes. Furthermore, the use of these fermented products could provide enhanced health benefits to southern Assam region of India.

Shenling Baizhu San ameliorates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice by modulating gut microbiota and metabolites

Purpose: The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its related mortality is increasing at an unprecedented rate. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been shown to offer potential for early prevention and treatment of NAFLD. The new mechanism of "Shenling Baizhu San" (SLBZS) is examined in this study for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD at the preclinical level. Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups: normal diet (ND), western diet + CCl4 injection (WDC), and SLBZS intervention (WDC + SLBZS). Body weights, energy intake, liver enzymes, pro-inflammatory factors, and steatosis were recorded in detail. Meanwhile, TPH1, 5-HT, HTR2A, and HTR2B were tested using qRT-PCR or ELISA. Dynamic changes in the gut microbiota and metabolites were further detected through the 16S rRNA gene and untargeted metabolomics. Results: SLBZS intervention for 6 weeks could reduce the serum and liver lipid profiles, glucose, and pro-inflammatory factors while improving insulin resistance and liver function indexes in the mice, thus alleviating NAFLD in mice. More importantly, significant changes were found in the intestinal TPH-1, 5-HT, liver 5-HT, and related receptors HTR2A and HTR2B. The 16S rRNA gene analysis suggested that SLBZS was able to modulate the disturbance of gut microbiota, remarkably increasing the relative abundance of probiotics (Bifidobacterium and Parvibacter) and inhibiting the growth of pro-inflammatory bacteria (Erysipelatoclostridium and Lachnoclostridium) in mice with NAFLD. Combined with metabolomics in positive- and negative-ion-mode analyses, approximately 50 common differential metabolites were selected via non-targeted metabolomics detection, which indicated that the targeting effect of SLBZS included lipid metabolites, bile acids (BAs), amino acids (AAs), and tryptophan metabolites. In particular, the lipid metabolites 15-OxEDE, vitamin D3, desoxycortone, and oleoyl ethanol amide were restored by SLBZS. Conclusion: Integrating the above results of multiple omics suggests that SLBZS ameliorates NAFLD via specific gut microbiota, gut-derived 5-HT, and related metabolites to decrease fat accumulation in the liver and inflammatory responses.

Impact of Pediococcus acidilactici GLP06 supplementation on gut microbes and metabolites in adult beagles: a comparative analysis

There is growing interest in the potential health benefits of probiotics for both humans and animals. The study aimed to investigate the effects of feeding the canine-derived probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici GLP06 to adult beagles by analysing the microbiome and metabolome. Twenty-four healthy adult beagles were randomly assigned to four groups. The CK group received a standard diet, while the three probiotic groups, the LG group (2 × 108 CFU/day/dog), MG group (2 × 109 CFU/day/dog), and HG group (2 × 1010 CFU/day/dog), received the standard diet supplemented with varying amounts of probiotics. The results show that, compared to the CK group, total antioxidant capacity was significantly increased in the MG and HG groups (p < 0.05), and superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly increased in the HG group (p < 0.05). Compared to the CK group, malondialdehyde and blood urea nitrogen content were significantly decreased in the MG and HG groups (p < 0.05). Additionally, secretory immunoglobulin A activity was significantly increased in the HG group compared to the CK and LG groups (p < 0.05), and immunoglobulin G activity was significantly increased in the HG group compared to the CK, LG, and MG groups (p < 0.05). In addition, compared with the CK group, the abundance of Faecalitalea and Collinsella increased in the LG group, and the relative abundance of Tyzzerella and Parasutterella increased in the MG group. The α diversity and the relative abundances of beneficial bacteria (Faecalibacterium, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A1316, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005) were higher in the HG group than in the CK group. Furthermore, acetic acid content was significantly increased in the HG group compared to the CK, LG, and MG groups (p < 0.05). Butyric acid, isobutyric acid, and the total SCFA content were significantly increased in the HG group compared to the CK group (p < 0.05). Moreover, metabolome analysis revealed 111 upregulated and 171 downregulated metabolites in the HG group. In conclusion, this study presents evidence that supplementing with P. acidilactici GLP06 can have a positive impact on antioxidant activity, immunoproteins, SCFAs, and gut microbiota in adult beagles. These findings highlight the potential of probiotics as a dietary intervention to enhance gut health and overall wellbeing in companion animals.

Assessing the causal relationship between gut microbiota and diabetic nephropathy: insights from two-sample Mendelian randomization

Background

The causal association between gut microbiota (GM) and the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN) remains uncertain. We sought to explore this potential association using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Methods

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for GM were obtained from the MiBioGen consortium. GWAS data for DN and related phenotypes were collected from the FinngenR9 and CKDGen databases. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) model was used as the primary analysis model, supplemented by various sensitivity analyses. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q test, while horizontal pleiotropy was evaluated through MR-Egger regression and the MR-PRESSO global test. Reverse MR analysis was conducted to identify any reverse causal effects.

Results

Our analysis identified twenty-five bacterial taxa that have a causal association with DN and its related phenotypes (p < 0.05). Among them, only the g_Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group showed a significant causal association with type 1 DN (p < Bonferroni-adjusted p-value). Our findings remained consistent regardless of the analytical approach used, with all methods indicating the same direction of effect. No evidence of heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was observed. Reverse MR analysis did not reveal any causal associations.

Conclusions

This study established a causal association between specific GM and DN. Our findings contribute to current understanding of the role of GM in the development of DN, offering potential insights for the prevention and treatment strategies for this condition.

Improvement of inflammatory bowel disease by lactic acid bacteria-derived metabolites: a review

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) plays a crucial role in the establishment and maintenance of host health, as well as the improvement of some diseases. One of the major modes is the secretion of metabolites that may be intermediate or end products of the LAB's metabolism. In this review, we summarized some common metabolites (particularly short-chain fatty acids [SCFAs], bacteriocin, and exopolysaccharide [EPS]) from LAB in fermented foods and the gut for the first time. The effects of LAB-derived metabolites (LABM) on inflammation, oxidative stress, the intestinal barrier, and gut microbiota in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) model are also discussed. The discovery of LABM and identification of IBD biomarkers are mainly attributed to the development of metabolomics technologies, especially nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The application of these metabolomics technologies in identification of LABM and IBD biomarkers are also summarized and analyzed. Although the beneficial effects of some LABM have been explored, undiscovered metabolites and their functions still need further investigations.

Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 (LRC) Inhibits Cholesterol Synthesis and Stimulates Cholesterol Excretion in Animal and Cell Models

In this study, we evaluated the effects of Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB (LRC™) supplementation on hypercholesterolemia by researching its effects on cellular cholesterol metabolism in hypercholesterolemic rats (KHGASP-22-170) and HepG2 cell line. Rats were separated into six groups after adaptation and were then fed a normal control (NC), a high-cholesterol diet (HC), or a HC supplemented with simvastatin 15 mg/kg body weight (positive control [PC]), LRC 1 × 109 colony-forming units (CFU)/rat/day, LRC 4 × 109 CFU/rat/day, or LRC 1 × 1010 CFU/rat/day (1 × 109, 4 × 109, or 1 × 1010). The rats were dissected to study the effects of LRC on cholesterol metabolism and intestinal excretion at the end of experimental period. We discovered that LRC mainly participated in the restraint of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, the uptake of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol into tissues, partially in the transport of cholesteryl esters into high density lipoprotein for maturation, and intestinal excretion of cholesterol. These results are supported by the expression of transcription factors and enzymes such as HMG-CoA reductase, SREBP2, CYP7A1, CETP, and LCAT in both messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels in serum and hepatic tissue. Furthermore, the LRC treatment in HepG2 significantly reduced the mRNA expression of HMG-CoA reductase, SREBP2, and CEPT and significantly increased the mRNA expression of LDL-receptor, LCAT, and CYP7A1 at all doses. Hence, we suggest that LRC supplementation could alleviate the serum cholesterol level by inhibiting the intracellular cholesterol synthesis, and augmenting excretion of intestinal cholesterol.

Pediococcus acidilactici pA1c® Improves the Beneficial Effects of Metformin Treatment in Type 2 Diabetes by Controlling Glycaemia and Modulating Intestinal Microbiota

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex metabolic disease, which involves maintained hyperglycemia, mainly due to the development of an insulin resistance process. Metformin administration is the most prescribed treatment for diabetic patients. In a previously published study, we demonstrated that Pediococcus acidilactici pA1c^® (pA1c) protects from insulin resistance and body weight gain in HFD-induced diabetic mice. The present work aimed to evaluate the possible beneficial impact of a 16-week administration of pA1c, metformin, or the combination of pA1c and metformin in a T2D HFD-induced mice model. We found that the simultaneous administration of both products attenuated hyperglycemia, increased high-intensity insulin-positive areas in the pancreas and HOMA-β, decreased HOMA-IR and also provided more beneficial effects than metformin treatment (regarding HOMA-IR, serum C-peptide level, liver steatosis or hepatic Fasn expression), and pA1c treatment (regarding body weight or hepatic G6pase expression). The three treatments had a significant impact on fecal microbiota and led to differential composition of commensal bacterial populations. In conclusion, our findings suggest that P. acidilactici pA1c^® administration improved metformin beneficial effects as a T2D treatment, and it would be a valuable therapeutic strategy to treat T2D.

Effect of a Multistrain Probiotic on Feline Gut Health through the Fecal Microbiota and Its Metabolite SCFAs

With the increasing awareness of raising pets following scientific methods, people are becoming increasingly more interested in the nutrition and health of pets, especially their intestinal health, which has become a research hotspot. Both Saccharomyces boulardii and Pediococcus acidilactici are probiotics with strong probiotic properties that can maintain the balance of intestinal flora. However, the role of Saccharomyces boulardii and Pediococcus acidilactici in felines has not been comprehensively studied to date. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of multistrain probiotics consisting of Saccharomyces boulardii and Pediococcus acidilactici on the gut health of felines by modulating gut microbes and the production of metabolite SCFAs. The results show that the multistrain probiotic did not alter the intestinal microbial diversity and structure of short-haired domestic cats, promoted the colonization of beneficial bacteria, increased the levels of microbiota-derived SCFAs and fecal antioxidants, and reduced the levels of fecal inflammatory markers. In conclusion, the use of a multistrain probiotic in healthy, short-haired domestic cats can promote gut health by modulating gut microbes, improving microbiota-derived SCFA production, reducing inflammatory conditions, and improving antioxidant status. These results provide new insights for further exploration of the role of probiotics in the gut microbiome of cats.

Probiotics-Fermented Grifola frondosa Total Active Components: Better Antioxidation and Microflora Regulation for Alleviating Alcoholic Liver Damage in Mice

Alcoholic liver damage is caused by long-term drinking, and it further develops into alcoholic liver diseases. In this study, we prepared a probiotic fermentation product of Grifola frondosa total active components (PFGF) by fermentation with Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Pediococcus acidilactici. After fermentation, the total sugar and protein content in the PFGF significantly decreased, while the lactic acid level and antioxidant activity of the PFGF increased. Afterward, we investigated the alleviating effect of PFGF on alcoholic liver injury in alcohol-fed mice. The results showed that the PFGF intervention reduced the necrosis of the liver cells, attenuated the inflammation of the liver and intestines, restored the liver function, increased the antioxidant factors of the liver, and maintained the cecum tissue barrier. Additionally, the results of the 16S rRNA sequencing analysis indicated that the PFGF intervention increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, Ruminococcaceae, Parabacteroids, Parasutterella, and Alistipes, to attenuate intestinal inflammation. These results demonstrate that PFGF can potentially alleviate alcoholic liver damage by restoring the intestinal barrier and regulating the intestinal microflora.

Beneficial features of pediococcus: from starter cultures and inhibitory activities to probiotic benefits

Pediococci are lactic acid bacteria (LAB) which have been used for centuries in the production of traditional fermented foods. There fermentative abilities were explored by the modern food processing industry in use of pediococci as starter cultures, enabling the production of fermented foods with distinct characteristics. Furthermore, some pediococci strains can produce bacteriocins and other antimicrobial metabolites (AMM), such as pediocins, which are increasingly being explored as bio-preservatives in various food matrices. Due to their versatility and inhibitory spectrum, pediococci bacteriocins and AMM are being extensively researched not only in the food industry, but also in veterinary and human medicine. Some of the pediococci were evaluated as potential probiotics with different beneficial areas of application associated with human and other animals' health. The main taxonomic characteristics of pediococci species are presented here, as well as and their potential roles and applications as starter cultures, as bio-preservatives and as probiotic candidates.

Inulin intervention attenuates hepatic steatosis in rats via modulating gut microbiota and maintaining intestinal barrier function

Increasing evidence has suggested the mitigatory efficacy of prebiotic inulin on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), nevertheless, its action mechanisms remain elusive. Herein, inulin consumption effectively ameliorated high-sucrose diet-induced hepatic steatosis and inflammation, and rehabilitated liver lipogenesis regulators, including carbohydrate response element-binding protein, stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha. Furthermore, inulin supplementation restored the intestinal barrier integrity and function by up-regulating expressions of tight junction proteins (zonula occludens-1, claudin-1 and occludin). High-throughput sequencing demonstrated that inulin administration regulated the gut microbiota composition, wherein abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producers, including Bifidobacterium, Phascolarctobacterium and Blautia, was significantly enhanced in the inulin-treated rats, conversely, opportunistic pathogens, such as Acinetobacter and Corynebacterium_1, were suppressed. SCFA quantitative analysis showed that dietary inulin suppressed faecal acetate levels, but improved propionate and butyrate concentrations in rats with NAFLD. Functional prediction showed that tryptophan metabolism was one of the key metabolic pathways affected by gut microbiota changes. A targeted metabolomics profiling of tryptophan metabolism demonstrated that inulin intervention up-regulated faecal contents of indole-3-acetic acid and kynurenic acid, whereas down-regulated levels of kynurenine and 5-hydoxyindoleacetic acid in NAFLD rats. Therefore, this study demonstrated that inulin intake alleviated hepatic steatosis likely by regulating the gut microbiota composition and function and restoring the intestinal barrier integrity, which may provide a novel notion for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD in future.