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Bacillus licheniformis Alleviates Clostridium perfringens-Induced Intestinal Injury in Mice Model by Modulating Inflammation, Apoptosis, and Cecal Microbial–Metabolic Responses
by
, and
Yifan Zhong
†,
Meiting Zhang
†,
Haocheng Xu
,
Xiaorong Yu
,
Yashi Hu
,
Yangyi Xu
,
Xiao Xiao
and
Caimei Yang
* College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Animals 2025, 15(10), 1409; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15101409
Submission received: 18 April 2025
/
Revised: 6 May 2025
/
Accepted: 8 May 2025
/
Published: 13 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Additives in Animal Nutrition)
Simple Summary
Clostridium perfringens is a common intestinal pathogen that threatens animal health and growth performance. This study investigated the protective effects of the probiotic Bacillus licheniformis in mice infected with C. perfringens. Results showed that B. licheniformis alleviated infection-induced weight loss, reduced inflammation, inhibited intestinal cell apoptosis, and improved gut barrier function. Moreover, the probiotic reshaped the cecal microbiota and modulated key metabolic pathways, including short-chain fatty acid production and the pentose phosphate pathway. These findings suggest that B. licheniformis may serve as a promising feed additive for improving intestinal health and disease resistance in animals.
Abstract
Bacillus licheniformis (B. licheniformis) is a probiotic known for its ability to enhance host resistance against pathogenic infections. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of B. licheniformis in a mouse model challenged with Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens). C57BL/6J mice were pretreated with B. licheniformis for 21 days before oral infection with C. perfringens. The probiotic administration significantly prevented infection-induced weight loss and immune organ enlargement. Serum cytokine analysis revealed that B. licheniformis increased anti-inflammatory IL-4 and IL-10 levels while reducing pro-inflammatory IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels. Histological analysis showed that B. licheniformis preserved intestinal morphology and inhibited epithelial cell apoptosis. Moreover, the probiotic mitigated the infection-induced decline in volatile fatty acid (VFA) production. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that B. licheniformis reshaped the cecal microbiota, characterized by the increased abundance of Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Muribaculaceae, and Parabacteroides, and reduced abundance of Alistipes. Untargeted metabolomic profiling identified differential metabolites—including D-glucono-1,5-lactone, D-erythrose 4-phosphate, and D-sedoheptulose 7-phosphate—enriched in the pentose phosphate pathway, suggesting a regulatory role in redox homeostasis and host response. Collectively, these results indicate that B. licheniformis exerts protective effects against C. perfringens infection by modulating inflammation, apoptosis, microbial composition, and metabolic pathways. This work provides new insights into the application of B. licheniformis as a functional microbial feed additive in livestock disease prevention.
