Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins最新文献

Probiotics have attracted considerable attention in recent years due to their potential in modulating the gut microbiota, enhancing immune function, and contributing to the management of metabolic disorders, inflammatory diseases, and neuropsychiatric conditions. However, their clinical efficacy is often compromised by harsh gastrointestinal conditions such as gastric acid, bile salts, and digestive enzymes that significantly reduce probiotic viability. Moreover, current formulations face challenges in terms of bioavailability, targeted delivery, and consistency of therapeutic outcomes. To address these limitations, a variety of delivery strategies have been developed, including colon- and inflammation-targeted systems, genetically engineered and surface-modified probiotics, microencapsulation technologies with material innovations and functional enhancements, as well as inorganic and organic nanocarrier platforms. In parallel, interdisciplinary approaches such as smart-responsive systems, biomimetic technologies, microbiota remodeling, and synthetic biology have been increasingly employed to achieve precise release and sustained colonization in the host. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in probiotic delivery technologies, covering diverse engineering strategies and material platforms. It also critically examines key challenges in clinical translation, including formulation stability, inter-individual variability, regulatory inconsistencies, and long-term safety concerns, aiming to provide a comprehensive reference for the optimization and high-quality development of probiotic delivery systems. Aiming to provide a comprehensive reference and a forward-looking framework to guide the rational design of next-generation probiotic biotherapeutics.

The use of probiotics in aquaculture has emerged as a sustainable strategy for enhancing fish health and reducing the use of antibiotics, thereby serving the cause of One Health. In the present study, we employed a novel, distinctive, rigorous, and multi-tiered plate-based screening methodology to isolate spore-forming probiotic bacterial strains from fish market drain water for aquaculture applications. Based on their non-pathogenicity, potential for extracellular enzyme production, bile salt tolerance, and biofilm formation capabilities, three isolates, FM1, FM2, and FM4, with positive performance for all tested assays, were chosen and comprehensively characterized. Strain FM2, identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequence homology as Bacillus sp., was highly effective, exhibiting high sporulation efficiency (91%) and yield (9.3 × 10⁸ CFU /mL). It also had broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against eight common fish pathogens, with high biofilm-formation inhibition, and preformed biofilm-disruption potential. The strain further demonstrated excellent adhesive capabilities (97% auto-aggregation at 24 h, significant co-aggregation with pathogens, and high cell surface hydrophobicity), robust antioxidant activity, and notable exopolysaccharide production. It was susceptible to key antibiotics, including gentamicin, imipenem, amikacin, and ciprofloxacin, ensuring biosafety. Its spores can withstand environmental and gastrointestinal stress conditions, such as heat (110 °C), UV light, lysozyme, and bile salts, and survive in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. Thus, FM2 is a promising, safe, and multi-functional probiotic for aquaculture, capable of improving fish gut health, inhibiting pathogens, and surviving under challenging environmental conditions, and has enormous potential for commercialisation in aquaculture.

Probiotics are living microorganisms that are consumed to get diverse health benefits. These probiotic organisms through four basic mechanisms aid and improve our health which includes synthesis of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), augmentation of epithelial barriers, immunomodulation, and production of neuroactive compounds. All these together help in alleviation of psychological disorders, dental caries, improves kidney disorder, helps in prevention of heart diseases, allergies like dermatitis, respiratory allergies and colon and other types of cancer. One of the most beneficial impacts of probiotics is prevention of inflammatory bowel disease. It eases inflammation by increasing the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines and reducing pro-inflammatory levels. Probiotics also synthesis vitamins like Vitamin K, E, and antioxidants which prevent ageing, oxidative stress, cellular damage and apoptosis of epithelial cells. Probiotics have shown promising results in different studies and are thought to be an active component of alternative medicine with negligible side effects.

Isolation of beneficial probiotics from traditional foods is a priority in functional food research. We isolated and characterized a lactic acid bacteria (LAB) probiotic strain from Egyptian cuisine, with therapeutic applications for alleviating the manifestations of metabolic syndrome (MetS), including hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia and obesity. LAB (n = 10) were isolated from 12 food and juice samples, identified and assessed in vitro for glucose- and cholesterol-lowering capabilities. The most promising isolate underwent probiotic characterization, including gastrointestinal tolerance, surface hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, and milk fermentation capacity. Other beneficial properties, such as exopolysaccharide production and antimicrobial activity, were also tested. The selected isolate was evaluated for a hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic effect using a high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced hypercholesterolemia and diabetes model in Wistar rats. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Y_10b, isolated from Egyptian cottage cheese, reduced glucose and cholesterol levels in vitro by 53 ± 0.47% and 98 ± 0.18%. It showed good probiotic characteristics: minimal viability loss in simulated gastrointestinal conditions (0.07 and 0.08 log₁₀ CFU/mL), good hydrophobicity (> 70%), high auto-aggregation (82.6 ± 0.86% after 24 h), positive exopolysaccharide production, milk fermentation capability with 21-day storage stability, and an antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Salmonella enterica ATCC 14028, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 10031, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. In vivo administration of L. plantarum Y_10b in a MetS rat model resulted in significant hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic, and anti-obesity effects. In conclusion, L. plantarum Y_10b is a promising probiotic for managing MetS manifestations. Further clinical investigations for use as a therapeutic intervention are highly recommended.

A strong association between the gut microbiome and hypertension has emerged. Our previous work demonstrated that supplementation with L. plantarum CCFM639 (CCFM639) reduced blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive mice involving inhibiting the growth of S. aureofaciens Tü117 and conducted an exploratory randomized trial in adults with prehypertension or stage 1 hypertension. Here, we evaluate the effects of CCFM639 supplementation (10⁹ CFU/day for 8 weeks) on the gut microbiome and serum metabolome in a subset of these participants (n = 20). Untargeted metabolomic analysis was performed on serum samples, and stool microbiome composition was assessed via metagenomic sequencing. Mono-CCFM639 supplementation altered the metabolomic profile without affecting gut microbiota diversity but reshaped microbial composition. CCFM639 supplementation modulated both the gut microbiome and serum metabolome. Circulating gut-derived metabolites are likely to account for the improvements in BP, suggesting that CCFM639 supplementation could be a key component of nutritional interventions targeting the gut microbiota for hypertension management.

Postbiotics are gaining recognition as effective components in functional aquafeeds. In this study, we assessed the physiological effects of postbiotics derived from Cetobacterium somerae WT-1 on juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L.), with a focus on growth performance, intestinal health, and disease resistance. Six experimental diets were formulated to include increasing levels of postbiotics (0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 1%, and 2%), labeled Ctrl, F-2, F-4, F-6, F-10, and F-20, respectively. Juvenile fish with an average initial body weight of 10.48 ± 0.02 g were fed the test diets over an eight-week period. Notably, fish receiving 0.4% (F-4) and 0.6% (F-6) supplementation presented significant improvements in weight gain, higher digestive enzyme activities (lipase and trypsin), and better feed utilization compared with the control. Histological examination and gene expression analysis further revealed strengthened intestinal barrier structures and enhanced intestinal immune responses in the F-4 and F-6 groups. Additionally, supplementation with postbiotics from C. somerae WT-1 clearly reshaped the gut microbiota, characterized by enrichment of Lactobacillus spp. and increased microbial functional pathways related to amino acid metabolism, vitamin biosynthesis, and xenobiotic degradation in the F-6 and F-4 groups. Notably, the F-4 and F-6 groups also exhibited markedly enhanced kidney innate immune responses, with the upregulation of hif-1α, il-1β, tnf-α, and lysozyme, leading to significantly higher survival rates of turbot following Edwardsiella tarda (E. tarda) challenge. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that C. somerae WT-1-derived postbiotics exert beneficial effects on growth, gut health, and disease resistance in turbot, underscoring their strong potential as functional feed additives in aquaculture.

Melittin (MLT) peptide is considered due to targeting key proteins involved in apoptosis pathways to suppress tumor progression. However, the clinical application of MLT is limited due to its high cytotoxicity and poor cellular permeability. In this study, a hybrid peptide (AM1) derived from MLT and Aurein 1.2(Aur1.2) with modified properties was designed to enhance its therapeutic efficacy. A truncated form of MLT comprised of the last five C-terminal amino acids, was fused to a modified truncated Aur 1.2, in which Glycine was replaced with Tyrosine to enhance anticancer properties. Based on docking results, AM1 indicated specific interaction with the AKT1 protein in, Glu278, Asp292, and Thr308 residues. Also, it showed a specific interaction with residues Glu51, Asp86, and Asp145 in CDK2 protein. According to VMD results, the N-terminal region of the Aur1.2 peptides, excluding the first three amino acids, maintained its α-helical structure up to 50 ns. However, at 100 ns, partial structural alterations were observed, such that only amino acids 7 to 12, corresponding to the Aur region, retained their α-helical conformation. RMSD and RMSF analyses revealed no significant or undesirable fluctuations throughout the simulation of 200 ns of molecular dynamics. The RMSD values for the AM1 peptide ranged between 0.00048 and 0.64 nm and reached stability after 140 ns. Additionally, RMSD and RMSF analyses confirmed the stability of the AKT1-AM1 and CDK2-AM1 complexes. DSSP analysis indicated that the secondary structures of both complexes remained stable throughout the simulations. In addition, MM/GBSA calculations demonstrated that the binding of AM1 to both proteins is thermodynamically favorable, indicating stable and effective interactions. Furthermore, CG simulation results demonstrated the ability of the AM1 peptide to penetrate the DOPC-DOPS model membrane. In silico results suggest that AM1 is a candidate inhibitor of the PI3K/AKT and CDK2 signaling pathways, which are crucial in cancer progression; however, this finding still needs experimental validation.

This study investigates circDCAF6 in Qinchuan cattle muscle development. Firstly, circDCAF6 was screened and identified, and it was found that this circular RNA was highly expressed in muscle tissue and more stable than linear RNA. By designing interference RNA and overexpression recombinant vectors based on circDCAF6, functional studies have shown that circDCAF6 can significantly promote the proliferation of myoblasts and inhibit their apoptosis process. Through targeted regulation analysis, we found that circDCAF6 can interact with miR-181d and regulate the expression of downstream target gene CCNB1 through miR-181d, thereby affecting the proliferation and apoptosis of myoblasts. In addition, interference experiments have shown that inhibiting CCNB1 can significantly reduce the proportion of cells in the S phase of the cell cycle and increase the proportion of early apoptotic cells. This effect can be partially rescued by co-transfection with circDCAF6. In summary, this study suggests that circDCAF6 plays a critical role in the proliferation and apoptosis of Qinchuan cattle myoblasts by targeting miR-181d to regulate the expression of CCNB1. These findings provide a new perspective for a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying muscle development and may offer new molecular targets for genetic improvement in beef cattle.