The complex world of kefir: Structural insights and symbiotic relationships.

Kefir milk, known for its high nutritional value and health benefits, is traditionally produced by fermenting milk with kefir grains. These grains are a complex symbiotic community of lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, yeasts, and other microorganisms. However, the intricate coexistence mechanisms within these microbial colonies remain a mystery, posing challenges in predicting their biological and functional traits. This uncertainty often leads to variability in kefir milk's quality and safety. This review delves into the unique structural characteristics of kefir grains, particularly their distinctive hollow structure. We propose hypotheses on their formation, which appears to be influenced by the aggregation behaviors of the community members and their alliances. In kefir milk, a systematic colonization process is driven by metabolite release, orchestrating the spatiotemporal rearrangement of ecological niches. We place special emphasis on the dynamic spatiotemporal changes within the kefir microbial community. Spatially, we observe variations in species morphology and distribution across different locations within the grain structure. Temporally, the review highlights the succession patterns of the microbial community, shedding light on their evolving interactions.Furthermore, we explore the ecological mechanisms underpinning the formation of a stable community composition. The interplay of cooperative and competitive species within these microorganisms ensures a dynamic balance, contributing to the community's richness and stability. In kefir community, competitive species foster diversity and stability, whereas cooperative species bolster mutualistic symbiosis. By deepening our understanding of the behaviors of these complex microbial communities, we can pave the way for future advancements in the development and diversification of starter cultures for food fermentation processes.

Exploration of microbial profile of traditional starters and its influence on aroma profile and quality of Chinese steamed bread.

BACKGROUND: Chinese steamed bread (CSB) is a popular staple food in China with traditional ethnic characteristics. CSB with traditional starters has good flavor and texture but is unstable and requires a long preparation time. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the traditional starters (ST) and their influence on the flavor and quality of steamed bread to meet people's requirements as a staple food. RESULTS: The count of yeast, lactic acid bacteria and total microbial population significantly varied in different traditional starters; Saccharomyces and Lactobacillus were the predominant genera. Among the tested samples, fungi were found in ST from Shijiazhuang (SJ), Handan (HD) and Langfang (LF), while bacteria were found in ST from Tangshan (TS) and SJ at sub-predominant levels. In terms of the bread quality, the highest specific volume and porosity were in XT-CSB (Xingtai); the highest height/diameter ratio was in SJ-CSB; and the highest sensory score was in TS-CSB. A total of 26 aroma compounds (VIP > 1; variable importance for predictive components) were identified to discriminate CSB fermented with different starters, which were separated by stepwise canonical discriminant analysis using two functions. The correlation analysis among microbiota, aroma compounds and bread quality showed a higher contribution of bacteria than of fungi. CONCLUSION: Differences in microbial profiles caused different aroma profiles and quality of CSB; and the CSB fermented with traditional starters were sufficiently separated by stepwise canonical discriminant analysis based on aroma compounds. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Amino acid regulated citrus pectin-based emulsion stability mediated by pH.

BACKGROUND: Citrus residuals are rich in nutrients like pectin, essential oil, and amino acids, which are wasted in the food industry. Moreover, citrus components often coexist with amino acids during emulsion preparation and application. RESULTS: Adding glutamic or arginine after emulsification resulted in a stable emulsion compared with adding them before emulsification. Adding glycine before or after emulsification had no effect on the emulsion stability. Emulsion stability was improved by adding glutamic acid at pH 6. Ionic interaction and hydrogen bonding were the main forms of bonding. The rhamnogalacturonan II domain was the potential binding site for the amino acids. CONCLUSIONS: The emulsions prepared by adding acidic amino acids or basic amino acids after emulsification were stable relative to those in which the amino acids were added before emulsification. However, the order in which neutral amino acids were added did not affect the emulsion stability after storage for 7 days. With an increase in the pH level, droplet size increased and emulsion stability decreased. All the results could be attributed to changes in the structure and properties of citrus pectin, as well as the interaction between citrus pectin and amino acids. This study may expand the application of citrus-derived emulsions in the food industry. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Probiotics in the dairy industry-Advances and opportunities.

The past two decades have witnessed a global surge in the application of probiotics as functional ingredients in food, animal feed, and pharmaceutical products. Among food industries, the dairy industry is the largest sector where probiotics are employed in a number of dairy products including sour/fermented milk, yogurt, cheese, butter/cream, ice cream, and infant formula. These probiotics are either used as starter culture alone or in combination with traditional starters, or incorporated into dairy products following fermentation, where their presence imparts many functional characteristics to the product (for instance, improved aroma, taste, and textural characteristics), in addition to conferring many health-promoting properties. However, there are still many challenges related to the stability and functionality of probiotics in dairy products. This review highlights the advances, opportunities, and challenges of application of probiotics in dairy industries. Benefits imparted by probiotics to dairy products including their role in physicochemical characteristics and nutritional properties (clinical and functional perspective) are also discussed. We transcend the traditional concept of the application of probiotics in dairy products and discuss paraprobiotics and postbiotics as a newly emerged concept in the field of probiotics in a particular relation to the dairy industry. Some potential applications of paraprobiotics and postbiotics in dairy products as functional ingredients for the development of functional dairy products with health-promoting properties are briefly elucidated.

Development of a Broad-Specific Competitive ELISA for First-Generation Cephalosporin Antibiotics in Animal-Derived Foods Samples.

The abuse of antibiotics, such as the cephalosporins in livestock and aquaculture productions, usually causes the widespread antibiotic resistance due to their growth-promoting effects. In this study, cephalexin was chosen as the hapten molecule to prepare a broad-spectrum rabbit polyclonal antibody for cephalosporin antibiotics. The obtained antibody exhibited broad cross-reactivity ranging from 0.05% to 100% with 10 cephalosporins. Based on this antibody, we developed a broad-specific indirect competitive ELISA (ic-ELISA) for cefalexin, cefradine, cefadroxil and cefazolin with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) ranging from 0.72 to 2.99 ng/mL in working buffer. For animal-derived food samples with spiked cephalosporins, the ic-ELISA exhibited an excellent recovery ranging from 72.3% to 95.6%. To verify the accuracy of this proposed ic-ELISA, its detection performance was evaluated utilizing the high-performance liquid chromatography with satisfactory results. This study confirmed that: firstly, the prepared antibody can be used as a class-specific recognition element to develop immunoassays for cephalosporin antibiotics; and secondly, the developed ic-ELISA provided a new tool for broad-spectrum detection of first-generation cephalosporins in animal-derived foods.

Evaluation of Volatile Compounds in Milks Fermented Using Traditional Starter Cultures and Probiotics Based on Odor Activity Value and Chemometric Techniques.

The volatile components of milks fermented using traditional starter cultures (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus) and probiotics (Lactobacillus lactis, Lactobacillus bifidus, Lactobacillus casei, and Lactobacillus plantarum) were investigated by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) combined with simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE). A total of 53 volatile compounds were detected, being 10 aldehydes, 11 ketones, 10 acids, 11 hydrocarbons, 7 benzene derivatives, and 4 other compounds. The starter culture was found to significantly affect the composition of volatile components in the fermented milks. Ketones and hydrocarbons were the dominant compounds in milk before fermentation, while acids were dominant compounds in the fermented samples. Compared with probiotics, there was greater abundance of volatile components in fermented milks with traditional strains. The importance of each volatile compound was assessed on the basis of odor, thresholds, and odor activity values (OAVs). Of the volatile compounds, 31 of them were found to be odor-active compounds (OAV > 1). The component with the highest OAVs in most samples was (E,E)-2,4-decadienal. Heatmap analysis and principal component analysis were employed to characterize the volatile profiles of milks fermented by different starter cultures. The results could help to better understand the influence of starter cultures on the odor quality of milks.

Characterization and bioactivities of a novel polysaccharide obtained from Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis.

Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis is a type of red alga that contains seaweed polysaccharide agar. In this study, a novel non-agar seaweed polysaccharide fraction named GCP (short of crude polysaccharide obtained from Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis) was isolated from Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis. Structural analysis showed that GCP shows triple helical chain conformation when dissolved in water and has many branches and long side chains. Also, 1→3 linkage is the major linkage and the sugar structures are galactopyranose configurations linked by ß-type glycosidic linkages. Two macromolecular substance fractions (GCP-1 and GCP-2) were purified by DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow column chromatography. Moreover, a splenocyte damage assay and splenocyte proliferation assay were used to analyse the bioactivities of GCP, GCP-1 and GCP-2. It was demonstrated that polysaccharides could protect splenocyte damaged by H2O2; GCP-2 shows a greatest protection rate, that is, 92.8%, which significantly enhanced the splenocyte proliferation, and GCP showed the highest proliferation rate, 9.30%. The results suggested that this type of novel non-agar polysaccharide displayed remarkable antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities and early alkali treatment could decrease the activities. It may represent a potential material for health food and clinical medicines.

6-Shogaol alleviates high-fat diet induced hepatic steatosis through miR-3066-5p/Grem2 pathway.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanism by which 6-shogaol ameliorates hepatic steatosis via miRNA-mRNA interaction analysis. C57BL/6 J mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks, during which 6-shogaol was administered orally. The liver lipid level, liver function and oxidative damage in mice were evaluated. mRNA sequencing, miRNA sequencing, and RT-qPCR were employed to compare the expression profiles between the HFD group and the 6-shogaol-treated group. High-throughput sequencing was used to construct the mRNA and miRNA libraries. Target prediction and integration analysis identified eight potential miRNA-mRNA pairs involved in hepatic steatosis, which were subsequently validated in liver tissues and AML12 cells. The findings revealed that 6-shogaol modulates the miR-3066-5p/Grem2 pathway, thereby improving hepatic steatosis. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms through which 6-shogaol alleviates hepatic steatosis, establishing a foundation for future research on natural active compounds for the treatment of metabolic diseases.

Degradation Mechanism of Aflatoxin M1 by Recombinant Catalase from Bacillus pumilusE-1-1-1: Food Applications in Milk and Beer.

A bacteria capable of degrading aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) was isolated from African elephant manure. It was identified as Bacillus pumilus by 16s rDNA sequencing and named B. pumilusE-1-1-1. Compared with physical and chemical methods, biological methods have attracted much attention due to their advantages, such as thorough detoxification, high specificity, and environmental friendliness. This work aimed to study the effects of a recombinant catalase (rCAT) from B. pumilusE-1-1-1 on the degradation of AFM1 in pattern solution. The degradation mechanism was further explored and applied to milk and beer. Kinetic Momentum and Virtual Machine Maximum values for rCAT toward AFM1 were 4.1 µg/mL and 2.5 µg/mL/min, respectively. The rCAT-mediated AFM1 degradation product was identified as C15H14O3. Molecular docking simulations suggested that hydrogen and pi bonds played major roles in the steadiness of AFM1-rCAT. In other work, compared with identical density of AFM1, survival rates of Hep-G2 cells incubated with catalase-produced AFM1 degradation products increased by about 3 times. In addition, degradation rates in lager beer and milk were 31.3% and 47.2%, respectively. Therefore, CAT may be a prospective substitute to decrease AFM1 contamination in pattern solution, milk, and beer, thereby minimizing its influence on human health.

Absorption and intracellular accumulation of food-borne dicarbonyl precursors of advanced glycation end-product in a Caco-2 human cell transwell model.

This study aimed to better understand whether and how the reactive 1,2-dicarbonyl precursors of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), glyoxal (GO) and methylglyoxal (MGO), cross the intestinal barrier by studying their transport in the in vitro Caco-2 transwell system. The results reveal that GO, MGO and Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), the latter studied for comparison, are transported across the intestinal cell layer via both active and passive transport and accumulate in the cells, albeit all to a limited extent. Besides, the transport of the dicarbonyl compounds was only partially affected by the presence of amino acids and protein, suggesting that scavenging by a food matrix will not fully prevent their intestinal absorption. Our study provides new insights into the absorption of the two major food-borne dicarbonyl AGE precursors and provides evidence of their potential systemic bioavailability but also of factors limiting their contribution to the overall exposome.

Synthesis of dextran of different molecular weights by recombinant dextransucrase DsrB.

Leuconostoc citreum JZ-002 was extracted from artisanal orange wine. This strain was used to synthesize dextran with a purification extraction of 27.9 g/L. The resulting dextran had a molecular weight of 2.45 × 106 Da. A significant portion, amounting to 64 % of the structure, is constituted by the main chain, with α-(1,6) glycosidic bonds acting as the linkages. In contrast, the branched chain, comprising 34 % of the entire molecule, is characterized by the presence of α-(1,3) glycosidic bonds. The dextransucrase DsrB, believed to be accountable for the formation of the dextran backbone, was successfully cloned into the pET-28a-AcmA vector. The recombinant expression of the enzyme was achieved. Purified recombinant enzymes and immobilized in a single go using the gram-positive enhancer matrix (GEM). The maximum yield of dextran produced by suchimmobilized enzyme was 191.9 g/L. The composition featured a dextran connected via α-(1,6) glycosidic linkages. Molecular weight controlled synthesis was achieved with sucrose concentrations of 100-2000 mM and enzyme concentrations of 320-1280 U. The Mw of the synthesized dextran extended from 4680 to 1,320,000 Da. By controlling the ratio between enzyme concentration and sucrose concentration, dextrans with diverse Mw can be enzymatically generated.

Study on antihepatocellular carcinoma effect of 6-shogaol and curcumin through network-based pharmacological and cellular assay.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma currently has the third highest mortality rate in the world. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are on the rise and at a younger age, but research into the pharmacological effects of cancer is mostly single-component, and natural plant products can have additive or synergistic effects that can better amplify the effects of intervention in cancer. Aim: To evaluate the synergistic therapeutic effects of 6-shogaol and curcumin against hepatocellular carcinoma line HepG2 cells. Methods: In this study, a network pharmacology approach was used to predict and validate the mol ecular targets and pathways of the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of 6-shogaol and curcumin in combination and to investigate their mechanism of action. The results were also validated by cellular assays. HepG2 cells were treated with 6-shogaol and curcumin as well as the combination of the two. The combination index of 6-shogaol and curcumin in HepG2 cells was calculated using Compusyn software according to the Chou-Talalay equation. The synergistic anti-cancer effect was next investigated by MTT assay, apoptosis assay and cell cycle assay. The combined anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effect of the Ras-mediated PI3K/AKT and MAPK signalling pathways was analysed using protein blotting assays. Results: A network pharmacology-based screening identified 72 core targets of 6-curcumin and curcumin in hepatocellular carcinoma, and predicted that the main signalling pathway is the Ras signalling pathway. The anti-cancer effects of 6-shogaol and curcumin were validated in cell-based assays and the optimal synergistic concentrations of 5 µmoL/L for 6-shogaol and 30 µmoL/L for curcumin were determined. 6-shogaol and curcumin synergistically blocked the cell cycle in the G2/M phase and promoted apoptosis. Immunoblot analysis confirmed for the first time the combined action of both in down-regulating the Ras-mediated PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways. In addition, 6-shogaol and curcumin acting together downregulated Cyclin-B, CDK-1, Bcl-2, and upregulated BAX. Conclusion: 6-shogaol and curcumin act synergistically to alter the morphology of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, block the cell cycle in the G2/M phase, inhibit proliferation and division, and effectively promote late apoptosis. The combined action of these two components provides a theoretical basis for the further development of novel anti-liver cancer products.

Pectin from steam explosion-treated citrus peel exhibits good emulsion properties and bioavailability-promoting effect in vitro of nobiletin.

Steam explosion (SE) is a potential method to modify pectin structure, which might be connected to its emulsifying characteristics and the bioavailability of encapsulated polymethoxyflavone like nobiletin. However, the relationship between SE-modified pectin and the bioavailability of encapsulated nobiletin is still unclear. In this study, nobiletin-loaded emulsion was fabricated using citrus pectin modified with SE (0.15-0.9 MPa, 3 min) as emulsifier for in vitro digestion study, and the transport and absorption of nobiletin in Caco-2 cells to investigate the bioavailability-promoting effect. The results showed that SE treatment lowered the droplet size of emulsion from 21.38 ± 2.30 µm to 2.14 ± 0.12 µm, enhanced the nobiletin encapsulation efficiency from 23.73 ± 0.78% to 86.27 ± 3.81%, improved the nobiletin bioaccessibility in vitro from 2.48 ± 0.10% to 25.42 ± 0.10% and increased the intracellular accumulation of nobiletin by over 10 times, even higher than that of Tween 80. In conclusion, pectin from SE-treated citrus peel exhibited good emulsion properties and bioavailability-promoting effect in vitro of nobiletin.

Effect of different thermal processing methods on sensory, nutritional, physicochemical and structural properties of Penaeus vannamei.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different thermal processing methods on the nutritional and physicochemical qualities of Penaeus vannamei. Three different thermal processing methods, namely, drying (DS, 120 °C/40 min), steaming (SS, 100 °C/2 min), and microwaving (MS, 600 W/2 min) were used to treat the shrimps. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance data indicated that fixed water was the main component of Penaeus vannamei. The ratio of fatty acids in MS and DS samples was more in line with the FAO/WHO recommended health requirements; The myofibrillar protein carbonyl group increased, whereas sulfhydryl content decreased after thermal processing, indicating that the proteins were oxidized by thermal processing. The magnitude of oxidation is: MS > SS > DS. Different thermal processing methods can exert great influence on color texture and nutrition to Penaeus vannamei, which can provide a theoretical knowledge for consumers to choose the appropriate processing method.

Preparation and recognition mechanism study of an scFv targeting chloramphenicol for a hybridization chain reaction-CRISPR/Cas12a amplified fluoroimmunoassay.

Recombinant antibody-based immunoassays have emerged as crucial techniques for detecting antibiotic residues in food samples. Developing a stable recombinant antibody production system and enhancing detection sensitivity are crucial for their biosensing applications. Here, we bioengineered a single-chain fragment variable (scFv) antibody to target chloramphenicol (CAP) using both Bacillus subtilis and HEK 293 systems, with the HEK 293-derived scFv demonstrating superior sensitivity. Computational chemistry analyses indicated that ASP-99 and ASN-102 residues in the scFv play key roles in antibody recognition, and the hydroxyl group near the benzene ring of the target molecule is critical for in antibody binding. Furthermore, we enhanced the scFv's biosensing sensitivity using an HCR-CRISPR/Cas12a amplification strategy in a streptavidin-based immunoassay. In the dual-step amplification process, detection limits for CAP in the HCR and HCR-CRISPR/Cas12a stages were significantly reduced to 55.23 pg/mL and 3.31 pg/mL, respectively. These findings introduce an effective method for developing CAP-specific scFv antibodies and also propose a multi-amplification strategy to increase immunoassay sensitivity. Additionally, theoretical studies also offer valuable guidance in CAP hapten design and genetic engineering for antibody modification.

Integrated ultra-high pressure and salt addition to improve the in vitro digestibility of myofibrillar proteins from scallop mantle (Patinopecten yessoensis).

Myofibrillar protein (MP) is susceptible to the effect of ionic strength and ultra-high pressure (UHP) treatment, respectively. However, the impact of UHP combined with ionic strength on the structure and in vitro digestibility of MP from scallop mantle (Patinopecten yessoensis) is not yet clear. Therefore, it is particularly important to analyze the structural properties and enhance the in vitro digestibility of MP by NaCl and UHP treatment. The findings demonstrated that as ionic strength increased, the α-helix and ß-sheet gradually transformed into ß-turn and random coil. The decrease of endogenous fluorescence intensity indicated the formation of a more stable tertiary structure. Additionally, the exposure of internal sulfhydryl groups increased the amount of total sulfhydryl content, and reactive sulfhydryl groups gradually transformed into disulfide bonds. Moreover, it reduces aggregation through increased solubility, decreased turbidity, particle sizes, and a relatively dense and uniform microstructure. When MP from the scallop mantle was treated with 0.5 mol/L ionic strength and 200 MPa UHP treatment, it had the highest solubility (90.75 ± 0.13%) and the lowest turbidity (0.41 ± 0.03). The scallop mantle MP with NaCl of 0.3 mol/L and UHP treatment had optimal in vitro digestibility (95.14 ± 2.01%). The findings may offer a fresh perspectives for developing functional foods for patients with dyspepsia and a theoretical foundation for the comprehensive utilization of scallop mantle by-products with low concentrations of NaCl.

Molecular structural modification of myofibrillar protein from oyster (Crassostrea gigas) with oligosaccharides for improving its gel properties.

Glycation is a promising approach to enhance protein gel characteristics in the food industry. The impact of oyster myofibrillar protein (MP) being glycosylated with six oligosaccharides (dextran [Dex]-1 kDa, 5 kDa, 6 kDa, and 10 kDa, xylan [Xyla], and xyloglucan [Xyg]) on structural properties, aggregation behavior and gel properties was investigated in this study. The findings demonstrated that oligosaccharides significantly increased the glycation degree of MP by forming a stable tertiary conformation, increasing the contents of the disulfide bond and hydrogen bonds. Additionally, particle sizes decreased and solubility increased after glycation, improving the gel's strength, water-holding capacity, thermal stability, elastic modulus, and ordered network layout. It was determined that MP-Dex 5 had the best gel properties. The gel strength and water holding capacity of MP-Dex 5 increased by 70.59% and 32.27%, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations results showed van der Waals energy and electrostatic interactions favor myosin binding to Dex or Xyla units. This study will provide insights into the relationship between molecular structure, aggregation behavior and gel property of oyster MP-oligosaccharide couples, and expand the application of oyster MP in food gels.

Microfluidic-oriented green synthesis of pepsin-doped gold nanoparticles for colorimetric and photothermal dual-readout detection of food hazards.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)-based immunochromatographic assay has gained popularity as a rapid detection method for food hazards. Synthesizing highly stable AuNPs in a rapid, simple and environmentally friendly manner is a key focus in this field. Here, we present a green microfluidic strategy for the rapid, automated, and size-controllable synthesis of pepsin-doped AuNPs (AuNPs@Pep) by employing glucose-pepsin as a versatile reducing agent and stabilizer. Through combining the colorimetric and photothermal (PoT) properties of AuNPs@Pep, both "signal-off" and "signal-on" formats of microfluidic paper analytical devices (PADs) were developed for detection of a small molecule antibiotic, florfenicol, and an egg allergen, ovalbumin. Compared to the colorimetric mode, a 4-fold and 3-fold improvement in limit of detection was observed in the "signal-off" detection of florfenicol and the "signal-on" detection of ovalbumin, respectively. The results demonstrated the practicality of AuNPs@Pep as a colorimetric/PoT dual-readout probe for immunochromatographic detection of food hazards at different molecular scales.

Characteristic aroma compounds during the fermentation of Chinese steamed bread fermented with different starters.

The characteristic aroma compounds of Chinese steamed bread (CSB) fermented with different starters were studied using HS-SPME-GC/MS, aroma recombination and omission experiments. The dynamic changes of the microbiota and their function and metabolites during fermentation were analyzed using metagenomics and non-targeted metabolomics. Forty-nine volatile flavor compounds were identified, while 5 characteristic aroma-active compounds were investigated in CSB fermented with commercial dry yeast (AQ-CSB), and 10 were investigated in CSB fermented with traditional starter (NY-CSB). Microbial structure and function analysis showed that Saccharomyces cerevisiae dominated during AQ-CSB fermentation and contributed >95% to its KEGG pathways, while Pediococcus pentosaceus, unclassified Pediococcus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis and unclassified Lactobacillus were predominant in NY-CSB and together had an ~96% contribution to these pathways. NY-CSB showed higher metabolic activity during fermentation, and the characteristic metabolites were mainly involved in carbohydrate, amino acid and lipid metabolism. The characteristic aroma compounds were identified and increased the understanding of the contributions of the microbiota. This may be useful for designing starter cultures that produce CSB with desirable aroma properties.

Synbiotic Combination between Lactobacillus paracasei VL8 and Mannan-Oligosaccharide Repairs the Intestinal Barrier in the Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis Model by Regulating the Intestinal Stem Cell Niche.

Previously, Lactobacillus paracasei VL8, a lactobacillus strain isolated from the traditional Finnish fermented dairy product Viili, demonstrated immunomodulatory and antibacterial effects. The prebiotic mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS) further promoted its antibacterial activity and growth performance, holding promise for maintaining intestinal health. However, this has not been verified in vivo. In this study, we elucidated the process by which L. paracasei VL8 and its synbiotc combination (SYN) with MOS repair the intestinal barrier function in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mice. SYN surpasses VL8 or MOS alone in restoring goblet cells and improving the tight junction structure. Omics analysis on gut microbiota reveals SYN's ability to restore Lactobacillus spp. abundance and promote tryptophan metabolism. SYN intervention also inhibits the DSS-induced hyperactivation of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. Tryptophan metabolites from Lactobacillus induce intestinal organoid differentiation. Co-housing experiments confirm microbiota transferability, replicating intestinal barrier repair. In conclusion, our study highlights the potential therapeutic efficacy of the synbiotic combination of Lactobacillus paracasei VL8 and MOS in restoring the damaged intestinal barrier and offers new insights into the complex crosstalk between the gut microbiota and intestinal stem cells.