Postbiotics in oncology: science or science fiction?

Metabolite profiling and bioactivity guided fractionation of Lactobacillaceae and rice bran postbiotics for antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium growth suppression

Probiotic-fermented supplements (postbiotics) are becoming increasingly explored for their activity against antibiotic-resistant enteropathogens. Prebiotics are often incorporated into postbiotics to enhance their efficacy, but due to strain differences in probiotic activity, postbiotic antimicrobial effects are poorly understood. To improve postbiotic antimicrobial efficacy, we investigated and compared metabolite profiles of postbiotics prepared with three lactic acid bacteria strains (L. fermentum, L. paracasei, and L. rhamnosus) cultured with and without rice bran, a globally abundant, rich source of prebiotics. At their minimum inhibitory dose, L. fermentum and L. paracasei postbiotics + rice bran suppressed S. Typhimurium growth 42-55% more versus their respective probiotic-alone postbiotics. The global, non-targeted metabolome of these postbiotics identified 109 metabolites increased in L. fermentum and L. paracasei rice bran postbiotics, including 49 amino acids, 20 lipids, and 12 phytochemicals metabolites. To identify key metabolite contributors to postbiotic antimicrobial activity, bioactivity-guided fractionation was applied to L. fermentum and L. paracasei rice bran-fermented postbiotics. Fractionation resulted in four L. fermentum and seven L. paracasei fractions capable of suppressing S. Typhimurium growth more effectively versus the negative control. These fractions were enriched in 15 metabolites that were significantly increased in the global metabolome of postbiotics prepared with rice bran versus postbiotic alone. These metabolites included imidazole propionate (enriched in L. fermentum + rice bran, 1.61-fold increase; L. paracasei + rice bran 1.28-fold increase), dihydroferulate (L. fermentum + rice bran, 5.18-fold increase), and linoleate (L. fermentum + rice bran, 1.82-fold increase; L. paracasei + rice bran, 3.19-fold increase), suggesting that they may be key metabolite drivers of S. Typhimurium growth suppression. Here, we show distinct mechanisms by which postbiotics prepared with lactic acid bacteria and rice bran produce metabolites with antimicrobial activity capable of suppressing S. Typhimurium growth. Probiotic strain differences contributing to postbiotic antimicrobial activity attract attention as adjunctive treatments against pathogens.

The Most Recent Insights into the Roots of Gastric Cancer

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the most common bacterial infection worldwide, usually being acquired during childhood, and its persistence into adulthood represents one of the main contributors of gastric carcinogenesis. Based on these statements, it would be of great importance to know if the most early premalignant transformation occurs in children or later since, this would enable the development of effective anti-tumorigenesis strategies. The interplay between H. pylori virulence factors, the host's responses modified by this infection, and the gastric microecology are complex and eventually lead to the development of gastric cancer in susceptible individuals. Several biomarkers were identified as major contributors of this long-lasting process, such as pepsinogens, gastrin 17, lipid-, glucose- and iron-metabolism parameters, immunity players, aberrant bacterial DNA methylation, H. pylori virulence factors, and hallmarks of gastric dysbiosis. Several of these biomarkers were also identified in children with H. pylori infection, independently of the presence of premalignant lesions, which were also proven to be present in a subgroup of H. pylori-infected children, especially those carrying extremely virulent strains. Therefore, the most incipient premalignant gastric changes might indeed occur early during childhood, opening a promising research gate for further studies to delineate the border between infection and cancer.