Search Results (4)

Background: Enterococcus faecalis causes serious opportunistic infections in patients with weakened immune defenses, such as individuals suffering from malnutrition. We investigated the effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum MPL16 and CRL1506 on the resistance to E. faecalis infection in mice immunosuppressed by protein malnutrition. Methods: Male BALB/c mice received a protein-deficient diet for 21 days, followed by a 7-day renourishment period with a balanced conventional diet (BCD) with or without lactobacilli supplementation. Malnourished controls (MN) and renourished mice were treated with gentamicin for 3 days and then challenged orally with E. faecalis 102. Infection levels in the gut, liver, spleen, and blood, intestinal tissue damage, and the cytokine response were evaluated 2 days after the challenge. Results: Malnourished mice had an impaired ability to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, and KC) and the regulatory IL-10 in response to the infection compared to mice in the BCD group. The imbalance of inflammatory and regulatory mediators in MN mice favors colonization and invasion by E. faecalis and increases tissue damage, making the disease more severe than in animals renourished with BCD. Supplementing the BCD with L. plantarum strains significantly enhanced resistance to E. faecalis 102 infections, as evidenced by a marked reduction in bacterial loads and intestinal damage. The effect of lactobacilli was associated with enhanced levels of IFN-γ, IL-6, and IL-10 and reduced TNF, IL-1β, IL-17, and KC. Conclusions: Given their efficacy in enhancing host resistance, these Lactiplantibacillus strains hold great promise as a preventive strategy against E. faecalis infections in susceptible individuals. Full article

The increased global prevalence of chronic respiratory diseases in recent years has caused a substantial public health burden. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KC3 and Leonurus japonicus Houtt. (LJH) extracts can alleviate respiratory symptoms and improve lung function in vitro and in vivo. However, the clinical efficacy and safety profile of this combination in patients with respiratory diseases remain unclear. Therefore, this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of L. plantarum KC3 and LJH extracts in adults with respiratory discomfort. This mixture was termed ‘CKDB-315’. Participants, randomly assigned to the CKDB-315 or placebo groups, were treated for 12 weeks. Assessments included the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test (CAT). The CKDB-315 group showed considerably improved SGRQ and CAT scores compared with the placebo group. Secondary outcomes, including dyspnea, pulmonary function, total antioxidant status, and inflammatory cytokine levels, were consistent with the primary outcomes. Exploratory analyses of the gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acid contents revealed the potential mechanisms underlying the effects of CKDB-315. Finally, safety analysis indicated that CKDB-315 was well tolerated and caused few adverse events. Our findings indicate that CKDB-315 is a promising therapeutic option for respiratory discomfort in adults. Full article

The applicability of two lactic acid bacterial strains with probiotic potential and bioprotective properties as additions in the starter culture in yogurt fermentation was examined. The studied strains, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus KZM 2-11-3 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KC 5-12, inhibited the growth of Kluyveromyces lactis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The strain L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus KZM 2-11-3 directly inhibited Escherichia coli. The important characteristics for the quality of the yogurt product, such as physicochemical parameters during fermentation and storage, rheological characteristics, and sensory changes during the storage of samples were determined. The yogurt samples with the strains did not differ in most parameters from the control yogurt with the commercial starter. The added strains showed stable viability in the yogurt samples during storage. The yogurt sample with L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus KZM 2-11-3 and the sample with both strains based on the total evaluation were very similar to the control yogurt with the commercial starter. Using these strains as probiotic supplements to enrich the starter cultures in yogurt production will contribute to developing new products with benefits to human health. Full article

Studies of newly isolated strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a good basis for expanding the potential for their applications in functional foods, probiotic food supplements, and other probiotic products. They exhibit various functional properties, including such with antiviral activity. Probiotic strains can manifest their antiviral effects by various mechanisms, including direct interaction with viruses, production of antiviral compounds, or immune system modulation. Ten newly isolated LAB strains from traditional fermented food products have been tested for the determination of their antiviral activity. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of cell-free supernatants (CFSs) from the studied strains for the effect on viral replication of Human alphaherpesvirus—HHV-1 and HHV-2 as well as for direct virucidal activity. The CFSs of the LAB strains were used in non-toxic concentrations of 25%, 6.25%, and 1.6%. No direct virucidal activity was observed in tested CFSs, but five of the strains observed a well-defined effect of viral replication inhibition with the selective index (SI) from 4.40 to >54. For two of these five strains, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus KZM 2-11-3 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KC 5-12 strong activity against HHV-2 with a selective index (SI) over 45 was detected, which is a good basis for further research. Full article