The lack of rapid and effective approaches to determine the health benefits of strains is one of the main challenges affecting the selection of probiotics from large numbers of candidates. In this study, the probiotic potential of 44 Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains isolated from different Chinese traditional fermented foods was evaluated, including acid and bile salt resistance, adhesion ability, survival in simulated human gastrointestinal transit, antioxidant activity, bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity, and antibacterial activity. All tested L. plantarum strains showed high antioxidant capacity, BSH activity, and antibacterial activity. Among the strains, B652, C232, D444, and E932 were identified as the best comprehensive performed strains, which were selected for whole-genome sequencing, in order to provide clear information and identify key genes responsible for functional characteristics in vitro. It demonstrated that the antioxidant activity, adhesion activity, and ability to survive in the simulated gastric environment were found to be closely correlated with antioxidant enzyme encoding genes, cell-surface protein-encoding genes, and stress response genes, respectively. The numbers of functional genes present in strains might decide their performance in probiotic profile evaluation. The outcome of the study could support the development of a novel approach for the screening and identification of probiotics.
The diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in fermented foods in Yunnan currently lacks large-scale and systematic research. A total of 638 fermented foods were collected from 84 regions in Yunnan for diversity analyses. The results show that the dominant strains in various types of fermented foods were different. Additionally, the majority of the LAB were better adapted to regions with a temperature of 15–20 °C and a humidity of 64–74%. Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) was the most abundant of all the strains and was widely distributed in the 84 regions. Genetically, the guanine plus cytosine (GC) content of L. plantarum ranged from 35.60% to 47.90%, with genome sizes from 2.54 Mb to 5.76 Mb. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that the habitat source and geographic origin had little influence on the homologous genes of L. plantarum. The genetic diversity of L. plantarum was mostly represented by functional genes and carbohydrate utilization. This research provides valuable insights into the microbiota of different types of fermented foods in Yunnan. Meanwhile, a genetic diversity analysis of L. plantarum may help us to understand the evolutionary history of this species.
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