Health-promoting effects and safety aspects of Lactobacillus delbrueckii: A food industry species

Abstract

Background

Lactobacillus delbrueckii is a bacterium used in the dairy industry, improving dairy products' organoleptic characteristics and nutritional value. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the probiotic effects of these microorganisms. However, unlike other lactic acid bacteria species, few studies have explored L. delbrueckii strains, using a probiogenomics approach, about their benefits and safety for host health.

Scope and approach

This comprehensive review describes the main health effects and safety features of L. delbrueckii strains. Furthermore, it also identifies potential genetic factors and molecular mechanisms obtained through the probiogenomics approach, which can offer insights into this species' effects on host health and its safety level for biotechnological and therapeutic applications.

Key findings and conclusions

L. delbrueckii can tolerate industrial and gastrointestinal stressors, and this property could be enhanced by incorporating these microorganisms into dairy matrices. The biotherapeutic activity of L. delbrueckii has been extensively demonstrated in intestinal inflammation, enteric infections, and metabolic and psychological disorders. Many beneficial effects are elicited by components of the bacteria cell membrane or secreted molecules, such as cell surface proteins, exopolysaccharides, bioactive metabolites, and peptides. Furthermore, few plasmids were identified in L. delbrueckii, reducing the spread of antibiotic-resistance genes. Additionally, this species has a lower capacity to act as a pathogen. However, studies show a discrepancy between the phenotype and genotype data, which may be related to the gene expression level or regulation in specific environmental conditions. Therefore, further studies should be conducted to characterize the possible biological role of this species and identify the genetic markers linked to these processes.