Probiogenomic analysis of an autochthonous Lactobacillus plantarum SK4719 from Chinese chives reveals its adaptive stress response

Abstract

Chinese chives (CC) are promising in-feed antibiotic alternative owing to its multi-functionality. This study investigates the probiotic potential of Lactobacillus plantarum SK4719, isolated from CC, through in vitro and genomic characterization. L. plantarum strain exhibited significant tolerances to the simulated gastrointestinal (GI) conditions with remarkable cell surface hydrophobicity (∼80 %), auto-aggregation (45 %), and co-aggregation (40–60 %) with E. coli, C. perfringens, S. aureus, and Salmonella species. The culture broth and cell-free supernatant of L. plantarum showed antimicrobial activities against selected pathogens. The strain adapted well (∼35 %) in CC juice, reaching maximum viable cell count at 9 h and maintaining stable antibacterial activity for 5 months at room temperature. Based on probiogenomic analysis, we identified 31 anti-stress genes, 35 adherence genes, and 107 genes related to enzymatic activities. Notably, genes 2937, 2939, 2640, 0488, 2440, 2587, and 3043 were linked to kaempferol metabolism, and while genes 2779, 1715, 2762, 0120, 0056, and 1915 were associated with octadecatrienoic acid metabolism. These results demonstrate the probiotic potential and adaptive response of L. plantarum SK4719 in CC fermentation. The outcomes of this study could improve L. plantarum based probiotic formulations while offering safer alternatives to commercial antibiotics.