Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins最新文献

Bioactive substances can enhance host health by modulating biological reactions, but their absorption and utilization by the body are crucial for positive effects. Encapsulation of probiotics is rapidly advancing in food science, with new approaches such as 3D printing, spray-drying, microfluidics, and cryomilling. Co-encapsulation with bioactives presents a cost-effective and successful approach to delivering probiotic components to specific colon areas, improving viability and bioactivity. However, the exact method by which bioactive chemicals enhance probiotic survivability remains uncertain. Co-crystallization as an emerging encapsulation method improves the physical characteristics of active components. It transforms the structure of sucrose into uneven agglomerated crystals, creating a porous network to protect active ingredients. Likewise, electrohydrodynamic techniques are used to generate fibers with diverse properties, protecting bioactive compounds from harsh circumstances at ambient temperature. Electrohydrodynamic procedures are highly adaptable, uncomplicated, and easily expandable, resulting in enhanced product quality and functionality across various food domains. Furthermore, food byproducts offer nutritional benefits and technical potential, aligning with circular economy principles to minimize environmental impact and promote economic growth. Hence, industrialized nations can capitalize on the growing demand for functional foods by incorporating these developments into their traditional cuisine and partnering with businesses to enhance manufacturing and production processes.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is among the deadliest cancers worldwide. Despite the recent introduction of several new therapeutic approaches for the disease, improvements in overall survival and progression-free survival have been minimal. Conventional treatments for NSCLC include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Except for surgery, these treatments can impair a patient's immune system, leaving them susceptible to bacterial infections. As such, Staphylococcus aureus infections are commonly seen in NSCLC patients receiving chemotherapy, and a major constituent of the S. aureus cell surface, lipoteichoic acid (LTA), is thought to stimulate NSCLC cancer cell proliferation. Thus, inhibition of LTA-mediated cell proliferation might be a useful strategy for treating NSCLC. Epinecidin-1 (EPI), a marine antimicrobial peptide, exhibits broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, and it also displays anti-cancer activity in glioblastoma and synovial sarcoma cells. Furthermore, EPI has been shown to inhibit LTA-induced inflammatory responses in murine macrophages. Nevertheless, the anti-cancer and anti-LTA activities of EPI and the underlying mechanisms of these effects have not been fully tested in the context of NSCLC. In the present study, we demonstrate that EPI suppresses LTA-enhanced proliferation of NSCLC cells by neutralizing LTA and blocking its effects on toll-like receptor 2 and interleukin-8. Moreover, we show that EPI induces necrotic cell death via mitochondrial damage, elevated reactive oxygen species levels, and disrupted redox balance. Collectively, our results reveal dual anti-cancer activities of EPI in NSCLC, as the peptide not only directly kills cancer cells but it also blocks LTA-mediated enhancement of cell proliferation.

The complex relationship between probiotics and human health goes beyond their traditional function in gut health, generating considerable interest for their broad potential in disease treatment. This review explores the various functions of probiotics, highlighting their impact on the immune system, their benefits for gut and oral health, their effects on metabolic and neurological disorders, and their emerging potential in cancer therapy. We give significant importance to studying the effects of probiotics on the gut-brain axis, revealing new and non-invasive therapeutic approaches for complex neurological disorders. In addition, we expand the discussion to encompass the impact of probiotics on the gut-liver and gut-lung axes, recognizing their systemic effects and potential in treating respiratory and hepatic conditions. The use of probiotic "cocktails" to improve cancer immunotherapy outcomes indicates a revolutionary approach to oncological treatments. The review explores the specific benefits associated with various strains and the genetic mechanisms that underlie them. This study sets the stage for precision medicine, where probiotic treatments can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient. Recent developments in delivery technologies, including microencapsulation and nanotechnology, hold great potential for enhancing the effectiveness and accuracy of probiotic applications in therapeutic settings. This study provides a strong basis for future scientific research and clinical use, promoting the incorporation of probiotics into treatment plans for a wide range of diseases. This expands our understanding of the potential benefits of probiotics in modern medicine.

Blautia wexlerae (B. wexlerae) is a strong candidate with the potential to become a next-generation probiotics (NGPs) and has recently been shown for the first time to exhibit potential in modulating host metabolic levels and alleviating metabolic diseases. However, the factors affecting the change in abundance of B. wexlerae and the pattern of its abundance change in the associated indications remain to be further investigated. Here, we summarize information from published studies related to B. wexlerae; analyze the effects of food source factors such as prebiotics, probiotics, low protein foods, polyphenols, vitamins, and other factors on the abundance of B. wexlerae; and explore the patterns of changes in the abundance of B. wexlerae in metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and other diseases. At the same time, the development potential of B. wexlerae was evaluated in the direction of functional foods and special medical foods.

Kefir, which has many beneficial effects on health, is one of the most consumed fermented milk products worldwide. It is important to increase consumption of the fermented product for public health. In this study, it was aimed to increase the beneficial effects of kefir on public health. Therefore, kefirs produced from different types of milk (cow, buffalo, sheep, and goat) were concentrated, and obtained spreadable kefir samples were investigated in terms of their microbiological characteristic (lactic bacilli, lactic cocci, yeasts and moulds, total bacteria, and coliform bacteria), benzoic acid content, physicochemical properties (fat, total solid, ash content, acidity, pH, syneresis, viscosity, colour, and rheological properties), and sensory characteristic. It was determined that APC, lactic bacilli, lactic cocci, and yeast counts of the concentrated kefir samples changed between 6.90 and 8.64, 6.89 and 8.61, 7.42 and 8.72, and 2.17 and 5.39 log CFU/g, respectively, during storage. Mould and coliform bacteria were not detected in the samples. The concentrated kefir samples contained benzoic acid in the range of 18.30-119.58 mg/L. Results from this study showed that type of milk caused differences on APC, lactic bacilli, lactic cocci and yeast count, total solids, ash, fat, acidity, pH, syneresis, colour, viscosity and rheological parameters, and benzoic acid content. In addition, milk type affected sensory properties of the kefirs. Concentrated kefirs produced from cow and buffalo milk were the most liked by panellists. Finally, it was determined that concentrated kefir was favoured as a new product by most of the panellists.

Recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) are a common condition with high morbidity and negatively impact the quality of life. They account for approximately 25% of all antibiotic prescriptions and are a public health concern in an era of increasing multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). Several non-antibiotic treatment strategies have been tried to curb antimicrobial use, and many are effective to some degree, but no experience testing multimodal interventions. We created a "care bundle" consisting of behavioral interventions, vaginal and oral probiotics, D-mannose, and cranberry to be followed for six months. We enrolled women with rUTIs over three years. Changes in urinary tract infections, antibiotic use, chronic symptoms, and quality of life were compared in the six months before and after participation in the study. Forty-seven women were enrolled in the study, six of whom were excluded from the final analysis. We observed a 76% reduction in urinary tract infections (p < 0.001) and a reduction in total antibiotic exposure of more than 90% (p < 0.001); all chronic symptoms showed a trend toward reduction. Adherence to the bundle was high (87.2%). Overall, 80.5% of women experienced an improvement in their quality of life. In our experience, a bundle protocol is effective in reducing recurrences and antimicrobial use in a cohort of women with rUTIs and results in a subjective improvement in chronic symptoms and quality of life. Further research with larger sample size is needed to confirm these findings.

Excessive inflammatory results, such as those seen in rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular diseases, are known to cause various complications. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether heat-killed Latilactobacillus sakei CNS001WB and Lactobacillus pentosus WB693 can prevent inflammatory reactions. When LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were handled with either heat-killed Lact. sakei CNSC001WB or Lact. pentosus WB693, the production of nitric oxide reduced. Furthermore, the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, was suppressed. The expression of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4), which play important roles in inflammatory diseases, especially arthritis, was also reduced. Moreover, these strains inhibited nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, which activate various cytokines and inflammatory mediators. Additionally, heat-killed Lact. sakei CNSC001WB and Lact. pentosus WB693 inhibited the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Based on these results, we concluded that heat-killed Lact. sakei CNSC001WB and Lact. pentosus WB693 sufficiently inhibited the inflammatory response and may have anti-inflammatory potential.

Aspergillus fungi are widely used in the traditional fermentation of food products, so their safety risks and functions are worthy of investigation. In this study, one Aspergillus luchuensis YZ-1 isolated from Liubao tea was identified based on phylogenetic analyses of sequences of three genes coding for internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), β-tubulin (benA), and calmodulin (CaM). The results of hemolytic activity, DNase activity, cytotoxicity assay, and antibiotic resistance assay indicated that the strain is potentially safe. The excellent gastrointestinal fluid tolerance, acid tolerance, bile tolerance, auto-aggregation, co-aggregation, cell surface hydrophobicity, and adhesion to human colon adenocarcinoma (HT29) cell line were observed on analysis of the probiotic properties. Furthermore, the results of the antibacterial activity of A. luchuensis YZ-1 indicated that the strain had strong antagonistic effects against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as fungi. Simultaneously, the water extracts and 80% ethanolic extracts of A. luchuensis YZ-1 cells also showed strong ABTS, DPPH, and OH^- scavenging ability. Taken together, our results suggest that A. luchuensis YZ-1 has desirable functional probiotic properties and can be proposed as a biocontrol agent in the food industry.

Bifidobacteria are commonly used as probiotics in the food industry. The resistance of Bifidobacterium species to antibiotics is closely linked to food safety. However, we still lack a system for the safety evaluation of antibiotic resistance in bifidobacteria, and genus-level microbiological cut-off values remain in use for the determination of phenotypic resistance of Bifidobacterium strains to a given antibiotic. Here, we collected a total of 422 gut-derived bifidobacterial strains isolated from Chinese population and identified their phenotypic resistance profiles against ampicillin, amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, erythromycin, rifampicin, tetracycline, trimethoprim, and vancomycin. Different Bifidobacterium species were found to have varying tolerances to the same antibiotic; therefore, we further established species-specific cut-off values for bifidobacterial species to ten antibiotics. Species-specific rather than genus-specific cut-off values for species belonging to the same taxon were considered more suitable to determine the phenotypic resistance of a Bifidobacterium strain. Moreover, a comprehensive scanning of antibiotic resistance genes in all Bifidobacterium strains tested revealed that the existence of the tetracycline resistance gene tet(W) and the erythromycin/clindamycin resistance gene ErmX is closely related to host phenotypes. Our findings provide guidance and reference values at both phenotype and genotype levels for the safe application of bifidobacteria in the food industry and the development of probiotic resistance evaluation standards.

This study evaluated the impacts of novel nutraceuticals formulated with freeze-dried jabuticaba peel (FJP) and three potentially probiotic Limosilactobacillus fermentum strains on the abundance of bacterial groups forming the human intestinal microbiota, metabolite production, and antioxidant capacity during in vitro colonic fermentation. The nutraceuticals had high viable counts of L. fermentum after freeze-drying (≥ 9.57 ± 0.09 log CFU/g). The nutraceuticals increased the abundance of Lactobacillus ssp./Enterococcus spp. (2.46-3.94%), Bifidobacterium spp. (2.28-3.02%), and Ruminococcus albus/R. flavefaciens (0.63-4.03%), while decreasing the abundance of Bacteroides spp./Prevotella spp. (3.91-2.02%), Clostridium histolyticum (1.69-0.40%), and Eubacterium rectale/C. coccoides (3.32-1.08%), which were linked to positive prebiotic indices (> 1.75). The nutraceuticals reduced the pH and increased the sugar consumption, short-chain fatty acid production, phenolic acid content, and antioxidant capacity, besides altering the metabolic profile during colonic fermentation. The combination of FJP and probiotic L. fermentum is a promising strategy to produce nutraceuticals targeting intestinal microbiota.