Genomic Comparison of Lactobacillus casei AP and Lactobacillus plantarum DR131 with Emphasis on the Butyric Acid Biosynthetic Pathways

Investigation on sweaty off-flavors in small mill sesame oil and its formation mechanism via molecular sensory science, preparative gas chromatography, and microbiomics

The distinctive and enjoyable aroma of small mill sesame oil (SMSO) originates from the aqueous extraction process. However, in the sedimentation stage in industrial production, when the external ambient temperature is elevated, unpleasant sweaty off-flavors may be present from an unknown source. Based on the odor screening and verification strategy, 76 volatile flavor compounds were identified in different SMSOs, and 3 key areas had a sweaty odor via gas chromatography olfactometry (GC-O) analysis. The validation experiment utilizing preparative gas chromatography (pre-GC) confirmed the sweaty off-flavors were butyric acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, and isobutyric acid, with odor activity values ranging from 1 to 100. Furthermore, microbiological investigations on sesame residues gathered during the sedimentation process at various temperatures revealed sweaty off-flavors were mostly attributed to the collaborative interaction of Lactobacillus, Yarrowia lipolytica, and butanoate 1-phosphotransferase. This study offers a fundamental theoretical foundation for enhancing the quality control and flavor of SMSO.

Exploring the relationship between periodontal diseases and osteoporosis: Potential role of butyrate

Osteoporosis, a condition marked by the loss of bone density and mass, affects individuals of all ages. However, it becomes more prevalent and severe with aging, increasing the risk of fractures and other health complications. Recent research has highlighted a link between osteoporosis and periodontitis, a chronic gum disease, as both conditions involve excessive bone loss that can lead to significant oral health problems if untreated. The growing interest in strategies to prevent bone loss has brought attention to butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid produced by gut bacteria during fiber fermentation. Butyrate has demonstrated protective effects against systemic bone loss, particularly in the context of osteoporosis. Notably, oral bacteria also produce butyrate, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic tool for preventing periodontal bone loss. Given the connection between systemic and oral health, understanding the role of butyrate in bone metabolism could offer new avenues for treating osteoporosis and periodontitis. This review will explore the biological mechanisms through which butyrate influences bone health, aiming to highlight its potential therapeutic applications in preventing bone loss across these conditions.

Gut microbiota dynamics and fecal SCFAs after colonoscopy: accelerating microbiome stabilization by Clostridium butyricum

BACKGROUND

Colonoscopy is a classic diagnostic method with possible complications including abdominal pain and diarrhoea. In this study, gut microbiota dynamics and related metabolic products during and after colonoscopy were explored to accelerate gut microbiome balance through probiotics.

METHODS

The gut microbiota and fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were analyzed in four healthy subjects before and after colonoscopy, along with seven individuals supplemented with Clostridium butyricum. We employed 16S rRNA sequencing and GC-MS to investigate these changes. We also conducted bioinformatic analysis to explore the buk gene, encoding butyrate kinase, across C. butyricum strains from the human gut.

RESULTS

The gut microbiota and fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) of four healthy subjects were recovered on the 7th day after colonoscopy. We found that Clostridium and other bacteria might have efficient butyric acid production through bioinformatic analysis of the buk and assessment of the transcriptional level of the buk. Supplementation of seven healthy subjects with Clostridium butyricum after colonoscopy resulted in a quicker recovery and stabilization of gut microbiota and fecal SCFAs on the third day.

CONCLUSION

We suggest that supplementation of Clostridium butyricum after colonoscopy should be considered in future routine clinical practice.

Novel primers to identify a wider diversity of butyrate-producing bacteria

Butyrate-producing bacteria are a functionally important part of the intestinal tract flora, and the resulting butyric acid is essential for maintaining host intestinal health, regulating the immune system, and influencing energy metabolism. However, butyrate-producing bacteria have not been defined as a coherent phylogenetic group. They are primarily identified using primers for key genes in the butyrate-producing pathway, and their use has been limited to the Bacillota and Bacteroidetes phyla. To overcome this limitation, we developed functional gene primers able to identify butyrate-producing bacteria through the butyrate kinase gene, which encodes the enzyme involved in the final step of the butyrate-producing pathway. Genomes extracted from human and rat feces were used to amplify the target genes through PCR. The obtained sequences were analyzed using BLASTX to construct a developmental tree using the MEGA software. The newly designed butyrate kinase gene primers allowed to recognize a wider diversity of butyrate-producing bacteria than that recognized using currently available primers. Specifically, butyrate-producing bacteria from the Synergistota and Spirochaetota phyla were identified for the first time using these primers. Thus, the developed primers provide a more accurate method for researchers and doctors to identify potential butyrate-producing bacteria and deepen our understanding of butyrate-producing bacterial species.

Special Issue "Functional Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria": Editorial

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a diverse group of microorganisms of the order Lactobacillales in the Bacillota phylum, subdivision Bacilli, comprising, at this stage of taxonomic descriptions six families (Aerococcaceae, Carnobacteriaceae, Enterococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Leuconostocaceae and Streptococcaceae) [...].

Whole-Genome Sequence of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Mut-3, Isolated from Indonesian Fermented Soybean (Tempeh)

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Mut-3 was isolated from tempeh. After whole-genome sequencing, analysis of its possibility as a probiotic candidate was performed using subsystem analysis with RAST with the SEED viewer.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum inhibits colon cancer cell proliferation as function of its butyrogenic capability

Lactobacilli have been shown to inhibit or suppress cancer cell growth through the release of strain-specific bioactive metabolites and their inclusion in functional foods could exert a health promoting activity on human health. Herein, we examined the antiproliferative activity of the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains S2T10D and O2T60C, which have been previously shown to exert different butyrogenic activities. Human HT-29 cells were employed as an in vitro colon cancer model and both bacterial strains were found to inhibit their growth. However, the strain S2T10D showed a greater antiproliferative activity which, interestingly, was correlated to its butyrogenic capability. Noteworthy, for the non-butyrogenic strain O2T60C, the growth inhibitory capability was rather limited. Furthermore, both the butyrate-containing supernatant of S2T10D and glucose-deprived cell culture medium supplemented with the same concentration of butyrate found in S2T10D supernatant, induced a pH-independent cancer cell growth inhibition accompanied by downregulation of cyclin D1 at mRNA level. The downregulation of cyclin D1 gene expression was accompanied by cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase and decrease of cyclin B1 and D1 protein levels. This in vitro study underlines the impact of Lpb. plantarum in the growth inhibition of cancer cells, and proposes butyrate-mediated cell cycle regulation as a potential involved mechanism. Since the production of butyric acid in Lpb. plantarum has been proven strain-dependent and differentially boosted by specific prebiotic compounds, our results open future research paths to determine whether this metabolic activity could be modulated in vivo by enhancing this antiproliferative effects on cancer cells.