Search Results (11)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of gut- brain interaction characterized by recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel habits. The therapeutic options for IBS patients include the use of probiotics. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a multi-strain probiotic made up by Lactobacillus rhamnosus LR 32, Bifidobacterium lactis BL 04, and Bifidobacterium longum BB 536 (Serobioma, Bromatech s.r.l., Milano, Italy) on an in vitro model of the intestinal epithelial barrier in the presence of mucosal mediators that are released by IBS patients. IBS (n = 28; IBS with predominant diarrhea, IBS-D = 10; IBS with predominant constipation, IBS-C = 9; and IBS with mixed bowel habits, IBS-M = 9) patients, diagnosed according to the Rome IV criteria, and asymptomatic controls (ACs, n = 7) were enrolled. Mucosal mediators that were spontaneously released by colonic biopsies were collected (supernatants). Two doses of Serobioma were tested with/without IBS/AC mediators. RNA was extracted from Caco-2 cells to evaluate the tight junction (TJ) expression. Serobioma (10⁶ CFU/mL) significantly reinforced the Caco-2 monolayer compared to growth medium alone (p < 0.05). IBS supernatants significantly increased Caco-2 paracellular permeability compared to the AC supernatants. The co-incubation of Caco-2 cells with IBS supernatants and Serobioma (10⁶ CFU/mL) avoided the paracellular permeability alterations that were induced by IBS supernatants alone (p < 0.001), and, in particular, IBS-D and IBS-M ones. The co-incubation of Serobioma (10⁶ CFU/mL) and IBS-D supernatants significantly increased ZO-1 expression compared to Caco-2 cells incubated with supernatants alone (p < 0.05), as confirmed via qPCR analyses. Serobioma (10⁶ CFU/mL) counteracts the paracellular permeability changes that are induced by IBS supernatants, in particular IBS-D and IBS-M supernatants, likely modulating ZO-1 expression. Full article

Given the rising interest in functional foods for health benefits, this study aims to evaluate the antihypertensive activity of an ice cream base incorporating Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG and aguamiel syrup. We assessed the probiotic viability and ACE inhibitory activity in ice cream enriched with aguamiel syrup compared to inulin. Several reports have highlighted the importance of consuming symbiotic dairy foods to modulate the intestinal microbiota and multiple pathophysiologies. Ice cream has a high worldwide consumption rate, so it is an alternative to incorporating probiotics and prebiotics. The probiotic was inoculated (10⁹ CFU/mL) into an ice cream base enriched with aguamiel syrup and a control base with added inulin. The carbohydrate profiles in the aguamiel (used to produce the syrup) and the aguamiel syrup were obtained through HPLC. TNBS and SDS-PAGE analysis were used to determine the proteolytic action of the probiotic. Sucrose was the carbohydrate with the highest concentration in fresh aguamiel and aguamiel syrup. The probiotic remained viable for 14 days under refrigerated storage conditions, with the aguamiel syrup base showing superior protein hydrolysis (free amino groups 302.67 ± 2.29 µg/mL) and 65% ACE inhibition. Likewise, the pH remained unchanged throughout the refrigerated days. These results underscore the potential of aguamiel syrup as a prebiotic in functional dairy products. Full article

Lactic acid bacteria are considered an inexhaustible source of bioactive compounds; indeed, products from their metabolism are known to have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity. Recently, we demonstrated that Cell-Free Supernatants (CFS) obtained from Lactobacillus (L.) acidophilus, Lactiplantibacillus (L.) plantarum, Lacticaseibacillus (L.) rhamnosus, and Limosilactobacillus (L.) reuteri can impair Candida pathogenic potential in an in vitro model of epithelial vaginal infection. This effect could be ascribed to a direct effect of living lactic acid bacteria on Candida virulence and to the production of metabolites that are able to impair fungal virulence. In the present work, stemming from these data, we deepened our knowledge of CFS from these four lactic acid bacteria by performing a metabolomic analysis to better characterize their composition. By using an untargeted metabolomic approach, we detected consistent differences in the metabolites produced by these four different lactic acid bacteria. Interestingly, L. rhamnosus and L. acidophilus showed the most peculiar metabolic profiles. Specifically, after a hierarchical clustering analysis, L. rhamnosus and L. acidophilus showed specific areas of significantly overexpressed metabolites that strongly differed from the same areas in other lactic acid bacteria. From the overexpressed compounds in these areas, inosine from L. rhamnosus returned with the best identification profile. This molecule has been described as having antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, and neuroprotective properties. The biological significance of its overproduction by L. rhamnosus might be important in its probiotic and/or postbiotic activity. Full article

Many studies have reported the benefits of probiotic microorganisms and the production of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Determining the proteolytic and ACE inhibition capacities during whey fermentation was the goal of the study. Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG, Streptococcus thermophilus SY-102, and both bacteria together were initially inoculated into whey, reaching an initial concentration of 10⁸ CFU per milliliter in each fermentation system. Through the use of TNBS, SDS-PAGE, and SEC-HPLC methods, the proteolytic profile was examined. An in vitro investigation was performed to test the ACE inhibition capacity. With S. thermophilus, the logarithmic phase of microbial development was shorter than with L. rhamnosus (6 and 12 h, respectively). The logarithmic phase in the co-culture fermentation, however, was extended to 24 h. There were no significant differences in pH between the fermentations. However, the co-culture had a greater concentration of protein hydrolysis (453 ± 0.06 μg/mL), as indicated by the amount of free amino groups. Similarly, this fermentation produced more low molecular weight peptides. The higher inhibition activity, which increased at the conclusion of the fermentation with the co-culture and reached 53.42%, was influenced by the higher peptide synthesis. These findings highlighted the significance of creating useful co-culture products. Full article

COVID-19, an infection produced by the SARS-CoV-2 virus in humans, has rapidly spread to become a high-mortality pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 is a single-stranded RNA virus characterized by infecting epithelial cells of the intestine and lungs, binding to the ACE2 receptor present on epithelial cells. COVID-19 treatment is based on antivirals and antibiotics against symptomatology in addition to a successful preventive strategy based on vaccination. At this point, several variants of the virus have emerged, altering the effectiveness of treatments and thereby attracting attention to several alternative therapies, including immunobiotics, to cope with the problem. This review, based on articles, patents, and an in silico analysis, aims to address our present knowledge of the COVID-19 disease, its symptomatology, and the possible beneficial effects for patients if probiotics with the characteristics of immunobiotics are used to confront this disease. Moreover, two probiotic strains, L. fermentum UCO-979C and L. rhamnosus UCO-25A, with different effects demonstrated at our laboratory, are emphasized. The point of view of this review highlights the possible benefits of probiotics, particularly those associated with immunomodulation as well as the production of secondary metabolites, and their potential targets during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Full article

Dietary intake of fermented soymilk is associated with hypotensive effects, but the mechanisms involved have not been fully elucidated. We investigated the anti-hypertensive effects of soymilk fermented by L. rhamnosus AC1 on DOCA-salt hypertension from the point of view of oxidative stress, inflammatory response and alteration of the gut microbiome. The antioxidant assays in vitro indicated the ethanol extract (EE) of L. rhamnosus AC1 fermented soymilk showed better antioxidative effects than the water extract (WE). Those extracts displayed a hypotensive effect using a tail-cuff approach to measuring blood pressure and improved nitric oxide (NO), angiotensin II (Ang II), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin factor-6 (IL-6) on DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Furthermore, cardiac and renal fibrosis were attenuated by those extracts. The gut microbiota analysis revealed that they significantly reduced the abundance of phylum Proteobacteria, its family Enterobacteriaceae and genus Escherichia-Shigella. Moreover, metabolomic profiling revealed several potential gut microbiota-related metabolites which appeared to involve in the development and recovery of hypertension. In conclusion, fermented soymilk is a promising nutritional intervention strategy to improve hypertension via reducing inflammation and reverting dysbiotic microbiota. Full article

Background: There are several potential healthy or nutritional benefits from the use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in foods. This study aimed to characterize the LAB isolates from kimchi, yogurt, and baby feces in the Hong Kong area and evaluate their performance in fermented soymilk, which allowed us to assess their potential use in future experiments. Methods: General characteristics including tolerance to acid, NaCl, bile salts and phenol, antimicrobial activity to various pathogens, and adhesive ability to Caco-2 cells were evaluated using 18 LAB in this study. To further demonstrate the influence of such isolates in soymilk fermentation, we measured viability by plating and noting changes in pH, amino acid content, aglyconic isoflavones content and antioxidant capacities in vitro, such as scavenging ability, and iron chelating ability. Results: In this study, various LAB isolates belonging to Lactobacillusrhamnosus, Lactobacillus sakei, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, andLeuconostocmesenteroides isolated in Hong Kong were evaluated. L. plantarum isolates R7, AC12, and AC14.1, and L. rhamnosus AC1 showed higher tolerance to acid, NaCl, bile salts, and phenol as compared to the other isolates tested. L. plantarum isolates AC12, AC13 and AC14.1, and L. rhamnosus AC1 harbored strong antimicrobial activity. L. plantarum isolates R7, AC12, AC13 and AC14.1, and L. paracasei isolates R6 and R8 showed higher adhesive ability than the other tested isolates. In soymilk, the viable numbers of L. paracasei R5, L. plantarum R7, L. rhamnosus AC1, L. sakei AC2, and Leu. mesenteroides AC5 were much higher than the other tested isolates after 48 h of fermentation. The pH value measuring the lactic acid level in soymilk fermented by L. plantarum AC14.1 was the lowest in comparison to those in soymilk fermented by other isolates. In addition, the levels of free amino acids and isoflavones in the aglycone forms of L. rhamnosus AC1-fermented soymilk were the highest. L. rhamnosus AC1-fermented soymilk also showed the highest antioxidant potential, including DPPH scavenging ability and iron chelating ability. Conclusions: In general, L. plantarum isolates R7 and AC14.1 and L. rhamnosus AC1 exhibited higher tolerance to challenging conditions as compared to the other isolates. Moreover, L. rhamnosus AC1 exhibited superior performance in soymilk fermentation and potential as a starter and probiotic culture. Full article

Health benefits of probiotics and production of inhibitors of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) released during milk fermentation are well known. That is why in this investigation the proteolytic profile and ACE inhibitory capacity of peptide fractions from protein hydrolysis of milk during fermentation processes was analyzed. Milk fermentation was carried out inoculating 10⁶ CFU of L. rhamnosus GG, S. thermophilus SY-102 and with both bacteria. The proteolytic profile was determined using: TNBS, SDS-PAGE and SEC-HPLC techniques. In vitro ACE inhibition capacity was measured. The pH of 4.5 was reached at 56 h when the milk was fermented with L. rhamnosus, at 12 h with S. thermophillus and at 41 h in the co-culture. Production of free amino groups corresponded with the profile of low molecular weight peptides observed by SDS-PAGE and SEC-HPLC. Co-culture fermentation showed both the highest concentration of low molecular weight peptides and the ACE inhibitory activity (>80%). Results indicated that the combination of lactic cultures could be useful in manufacture of fermented milk with an added value that goes beyond basic nutrition, such as the production of ACE-inhibitory peptides. Full article

This study was carried out to develop a functional yogurt with inhibitory effects on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and antioxidant activity using various probiotic strains. Yogurts were prepared using a commercial LAB freeze-dried product and probiotics.Yogurt with only commercial LAB product as control group (C) and probiotics supplemented with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG KCTC 12202 BP, as a reference group (T1), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KU15003 (T2), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KU15031 (T3), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NK181 (T4), and Lactobacillus delbrueckii KU200171 (T5). The T5 sample showed high antioxidant activities (86.5 ± 0.3% and 39.3 ± 1.0% in DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively). The T4 sample had the highest ACE inhibitory activity (51.3 ± 10.3%). In the case of sensory evaluation, the T4 and T5 samples did not show a significant difference (p > 0.05) compared to the reference group. These results suggest that L. plantarum NK181 and L. delbrueckii KU200171 can be used in the food industry especially dairy to improve health benefits for hypertensive patients. Full article

Bioactive peptides derived from milk proteins are an active research area. Exhibiting numerous positive physiological effects on digestive, cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems, these peptides thought to be one of the most promising ingredients for functional food. Generally, these peptides are inactive within the parent proteins and can be liberated during milk fermentation by the specific proteolytic systems of various Lactobacillus spp. Here we present the study of milk fermentation by Lactobacillus helveticus NK1, Lactobacillus rhamnosus F and Lactobacillus reuteri LR1 strains. It was demonstrated that the antioxidant activity of the milk fermented by these strains concomitantly increased with the strains’ proteolytic activity. For the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity, the same tendency was not observed. Although the proteolytic activity of L. helveticus NK1 was two times higher than that of L. rhamnosus F, the milk fermented by these strains showed comparable ACE inhibition. The analysis of the peptide profiles of the fermented milk samples allowed us to hypothesize that some previously unreported peptides can be produced by L. rhamnosus F. In addition, it was demonstrated that these potential ACE-inhibiting peptides originated from the C-terminus of α_S2-casein. Full article

The development and maturation of the neonatal intestine is generally influenced by diet and commensal bacteria, the composition of which, in turn, can be influenced by the diet. Colonisation of the neonatal intestine by probiotic Lactobacillus strains can strengthen, preserve, and improve barrier integrity, and adherence of probiotics to the intestinal epithelium can be influenced by the available carbon sources. The goal of the present study was to examine the role of probiotic lactobacilli strains alone or together with a carbohydrate fraction (CF) from caprine milk on barrier integrity of a co-culture model of the small intestinal epithelium. Barrier integrity (as measured by trans epithelial electrical resistance (TEER)), was enhanced by three bacteria/CF combinations (Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001, L. plantarum 299v, and L. casei Shirota) to a greater extent than CF or bacteria alone. Levels of occludin mRNA were increased for all treatments compared to untreated co-cultures, and L. plantarum 299v in combination with CF had increased mRNA levels of MUC4, MUC2 and MUC5AC mucins and MUC4 protein abundance. These results indicate that three out of the four probiotic bacteria tested, in combination with CF, were able to elicit a greater increase in barrier integrity of a co-culture model of the small intestinal epithelium compared to that for either component alone. This study provides additional insight into the individual or combined roles of microbe–diet interactions in the small intestine and their beneficial contribution to the intestinal barrier. Full article