In vitro evaluation of probiotic properties and antioxidant activities of Bifidobacterium strains from infant feces in the Uyghur population of northwestern China

Properties, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity of Southern Meagre Fish (Argyrosomus hololepidotus) Skin Gelatin Reinforced with Clove Bud Extract

The properties of biopolymer films prepared using Southern meagre fish (Argyrosomus hololepidotus) skin gelatin blends, both with and without clove bud extract (CE) at concentrations of 0.3% and 0.7%, were investigated. The addition of CE enhanced the light barrier properties and decreased water vapor permeability from 1.68 to 0.85 (×10-13 g s-1m-1Pa-1) (p < 0.05) in the films that contained CE. Additionally, the films' water solubility diminished as the concentration of CE increased (89.20 to 69.04%) (p < 0.05). SEM images revealed a smooth, uniform surface without cracks in the samples both with and without CE, whereas the films that included CE displayed a rougher and denser cross-section. FTIR spectra revealed variations in peaks between the films containing CE and those without it. The incorporation of CE raised the glass transition temperature (51.04 to 58.80 °C) and the melting temperature (124.65 to 141.92 °C) of the films. Additionally, the antioxidant activities, assessed through DPPH free radical scavenging activity (86.97%) and reduction power (λ of 0.85), along with moderate antibacterial activities against four distinct foodborne pathogens, improved with increased concentrations of CE. It can be concluded that phenolic compounds, such as eugenol in the clove extract, facilitated the formation of additional bonds between the peptide helixes of the gelatin, thereby enhancing the properties of the CE-incorporated films. Thus, Southern meagre fish gelatin film containing CE is an effective active packaging biomaterial for seafood products, exhibiting satisfactory properties.

Mechanism of Action and Beneficial Effects of Probiotics in Amateur and Professional Athletes

Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, provide health benefits to the host. According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), probiotic supplementation can optimize the health, performance, and recovery of athletes at all stages of their careers. Recent research suggests that probiotics can improve immune system functions, reduce gastrointestinal distress, and increase gut permeability in athletes. Additionally, probiotics may provide athletes with secondary health benefits that could positively affect athletic performance through enhanced recovery from fatigue, improved immune function, and maintenance of healthy gastrointestinal tract function. The integration of some probiotic strains into athletes' diets and the consumption of multi-strain compounds may lead to an improvement in performance and can positively affect performance-related aspects such as fatigue, muscle pain, body composition, and cardiorespiratory fitness. In summary, probiotics can be beneficial for athletes at all stages of their careers, from amateur to professional. This paper reviews the progress of research on the role of probiotic supplementation in improving energy metabolism and immune system functions, reducing gastrointestinal distress, and enhancing recovery from fatigue in athletes at different levels.

Isolation, identification, and in vitro probiotic characterization of forty novel Bifidobacterium strains from neonatal feces in Erzurum province, Türkiye

BACKGROUND

Neonatal feces are one of the most important sources for probiotic isolation. The purpose of this study was the isolation and identification of Bifidobacterium spp. from neonatal feces and the evaluation of in vitro probiotic properties of strains including safety tests.

RESULTS

A total of 40 isolates were obtained from 14 healthy newborns' feces in Erzurum province, Türkiye. By their rep-PCR patterns and 16S rRNA gene sequences, isolates were identified as 26 Bifidobacterium breve and 14 Bifidobacterium longum. Fifteen of the isolates tolerated bile salts and showed high resistance to simulated gastric juice. Isolates exhibited varying rates of auto-aggregation and hydrophobicity. In addition, most of the isolates displayed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Salmonella Typhimurium RSHMB 95091, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027. However, only one strain showed bile salt hydrolase activity and two strains showed the ability to produce H2O2. Bifidobacterium strains were generally sensitive to the tested antibiotics and lacked kanamycin, gentamicin, and streptomycin resistance genes, and hemolytic and DNAse activities. On the other hand, it was determined that five strains had various virulence genes including gelE, esp, efaAfs, hyl, and ace.

CONCLUSION

Results of the present study suggested that B. longum BH28, B. breve BH4 and B. breve BH5 strains have the potential as probiotic candidates for further studies. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Exploring the Preventive and Therapeutic Mechanisms of Probiotics in Chronic Kidney Disease through the Gut-Kidney Axis

Gut dysbiosis contributes to deterioration of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Probiotics are a potential approach to modulate gut microbiota and gut-derived metabolites to alleviate CKD progression. We aim to provide a comprehensive view of CKD-related gut dysbiosis and a critical perspective on probiotic function in CKD. First, this review addresses gut microbial alterations during CKD progression and the adverse effects associated with the changes in gut-derived metabolites. Second, we conduct a thorough examination of the latest clinical trials involving probiotic intervention to unravel critical pathways via the gut-kidney axis. Finally, we propose our viewpoints on limitations, further considerations, and future research prospects of probiotic adjuvant therapy in alleviating CKD progression. Enhancing our understanding of host-microbe interactions is crucial for gaining precise insights into the mechanisms through which probiotics exert their effects and identifying factors that influence the effectiveness of probiotics in developing strategies to optimize their use and enhance clinical outcomes.

Enterococcus durans 98D alters gut microbial composition and function to improve DSS-induced colitis in mice

Enterococcus durans, is a potential functional strain with the capacity to regulate intestinal health and ameliorate colonic inflammation. However, the strain requires further investigation regarding its safety profile and potential mechanisms of colitis improvement. In this study, the safety of E. durans 98D (Ed) as a potential probiotic was studied using in vitro methods. Additionally, a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced murine colitis model was employed to investigate its impact on the intestinal microbiota and colitis. In vitro antimicrobial assays revealed Ed sensitivity to common antibiotics and its inhibitory effect on the growth of Escherichia coli O157, Streptococcus pneumoniae CCUG 37328, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. To elucidate the functional properties of Ed, 24 weight-matched 6-week-old female C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups (n = 8): NC group, Con group (DSS), and Ed group (DSS + Ed). Ed administration demonstrated a protective effect on colitis mice, as evidenced by improvements in body weight, colonic length, reduced disease activity index, histological scores, diminished splenomegaly, and decreased goblet cell loss. Furthermore, Ed downregulated the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine genes (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α) and upregulated the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine gene IL-10. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed significant alterations in microbial α-diversity, with principal coordinate analysis indicating distinct differences in microbial composition among the three groups. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Actinomycetota significantly increased in the Ed-treated group. At the genus level, Ed treatment markedly elevated the relative abundance of Paraprevotella, Rikenellaceae_RC9, and Odoribacter in DSS-induced colitis mice. In conclusion, Ed exhibits potential as a safe and effective therapeutic agent for DSS-induced colitis by reshaping the colonic microbiota.

Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Nano-probiotics Versus Free Probiotics Against Gastrointestinal Pathogenic Bacteria

Antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria and the oxidative stress related to their infections are dangerous health problems. Finding new safe, effective antibacterial and antioxidant agents is an urgent global need. Probiotics are a strong candidate for possible antibacterial and antioxidant agents. The delivery of these probiotics without any effect on gastrointestinal digestion is the most important point for their application. The encapsulation of the probiotics on nanoparticles or other supports is a well-known method for the safe delivery of the probiotics. Little information is known about the effect of the probiotic encapsulation on its antibacterial and antioxidant activity. The present study tried to investigate the effect of probiotic encapsulation on nano-chitosan on its antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity against some pathogenic bacteria. We encapsulated some known probiotic species on nano-chitosan and investigated the antibacterial activity of the nano-probiotics and free probiotics against gastrointestinal pathogenic bacteria. The antioxidant characters of the free and encapsulated probiotics were investigated in terms of DPPH radicle scavenging activity, ferric ion chelating activity, hydroxyl radicle scavenging activity, superoxide anion radicle scavenging activity, and anti-lipid peroxidation activity. Results showed the superiority of the encapsulated probiotics as antibacterial and antioxidant agents over the free ones. The encapsulation improved the antibacterial activity of Sporolactobacillus laevolacticus against Bacteroides fragilis by 134% compared to the free one. Also, significantly, the encapsulation increased the hydroxyl radicle scavenging activity of Enterococcus faecium by about 180% compared to the free one. Nano-chitosan encapsulation synergistically increased the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of the studied probiotics. This can be promising for controlling pathogenic bacteria.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12088-023-01140-2.

Assessment of Probiotic and Antioxidant Potential of Indigenous Lactobacillus Strains Isolated from Human Faecal Samples

This study aimed to isolate and characterize probiotic Lactobacilli from human faecal samples of Jammu region of India and evaluation of their antioxidative properties. A total of 29 Lactobacillus strains were isolated and tested for their ability to withstand different pH levels, high concentrations of bile salt and lysozyme along with their adhesion ability to different hydrocarbons and auto-aggregation. Selected probiotic Lactobacillus isolates were further examined for their antioxidant potential using ABTS, DPPH methods, and the ability to scavenge superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. The results showed that Lactobacillus LpJ1 (7.93 ± 0.23) and LpJ5 (7.93 ± 0.59) had the highest cell viability at a pH of 2.5, while Lactobacillus LpJ16 (7.91 ± 0.48) had the highest resistance to bile salts. Many of the isolates also demonstrated good tolerance to lysozyme. The adhesion abilities of these isolates were characterized by cell surface hydrophobicity and auto aggregation which ranged between 50.32% to 77.8% and 51.02% to 78.95% respectively. In addition, Lactobacillus LpJ5 and LpJ8 showed excellent antioxidant activity. Based on these findings, the selected probiotic strains could be potential candidates for use in functional food to reduce oxidative stress.

Graphical abstract

Identification and evaluation of probiotic potential of Bifidobacterium breve AHC3 isolated from chicken intestines and its effect on necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in newborn SD rats

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe intestinal disease of the newborn infants, associated with high morbidity and mortality. It has been reported that Bifidobacterium could protect the intestinal barrier function and reduce the risk of NEC. This study aimed to evaluate the probiotic potential of Bifidobacterium strains isolated from the chicken intestines and its effect on necrotizing enterocolitis in newborn SD rats. Out of 32 isolates, B. breve AHC3 not only exhibited excellent probiotic potential, including tolerance to artificial simulated gastric conditions, adhesion to HT-29 cells, antioxidant capacity and antibacterial activity, but also possessed reliable safety. Additionally, NEC model was established to further investigate the effect of B. breve AHC3 on necrotizing enterocolitis in newborn SD rats. It was illustrated that administration of B. breve AHC3 significantly not only reduced the incidence of NEC (from 81.25% to 34.38%) (P< 0.05), but also alleviated the severity of ileal injury (P< 0.05). Compared with NEC model, B. breve AHC3 could significantly decrease the level of proinflammatory factor TNF-α (P< 0.05) and increase the level of antiinflammatory factor IL-10 (P< 0.05) in the ileum of NEC rats. Through the intervention of B. breve AHC3, the gray value of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in intestinal tissue of NEC rats was significantly reduced (P< 0.05). It was indicated that B. breve AHC3 exhibited prominent probiotic potential and reliable safety. In the neonatal SD rat model of NEC, B. breve AHC3 had an available protective effect on the intestinal injury of NEC, which might be related to reducing the inflammatory reaction in the ileum and inhibiting the expression of iNOS in intestinal tissue cells. B. breve AHC3 could be used as a potential treatment for human NEC.

Probiotic bacteria isolated from fermented meat displays high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential

One of the ways to impact emerging problems of unhealthy diet such as microbiota dysbiosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress is the application of probiotics and their incorporation into different food matrices. Discovery and selection of appropriate probiotic bacteria is challenging procedure especially for fermented meat products that have also been described as a potential source of resilient probiotic microorganisms. The aim of this study was to investigate probiotic bacteria Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 1K isolated from traditional fermented meat product for its potential beneficial properties. Furthermore, small probiotic metabolites were extracted, and their anti-inflammatory activity was tested in a lipopolysaccharide-stimulated inflammatory model on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Safety characteristics of metabolites including cytotoxicity and genotoxicity were also determined. Investigated probiotic strain exerted high antioxidant potential by viable cells but also by metabolite fraction. Viable cells retained the satisfactory antioxidant activity after gastrointestinal transit. Extracted probiotic metabolites significantly inhibited TNF-α production in LPS-stimulated PBMC thus exerting anti-inflammatory activity. Metabolites alone showed no cytotoxic or genotoxic activity toward isolated immune cells. Obtained results indicate the possibility to use fermented meat products as sources for specific probiotics that might provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits for the consumers.