In vivo safety assessment of Lactobacillus fermentum strains, evaluation of their cholesterol‐lowering ability and intestinal microbial modulation

Abstract

BACKGROUND Despite the growing importance of probiotics apparent health benefits, an impediment to the use of new probiotic cultures is their safety. Hence there is a need to strictly examine the biosafety as well as health benefits of probiotics in in vivo model systems. RESULTS In this study, two lactic acid bacterial (LAB) cultures Lactobacillus fermentum NCMR 2826 and FIX proven for their in vitro probiotic properties were investigated for their in vivo safety in Wistar rats. An acute toxicity study (14 days) with a high dose of biomass (1016 colony‐forming units (CFU) mL−1) followed by a subchronic test for 13 weeks with oral feeding of the probiotic cultures in three different doses (107, 108 and 1010 CFU mL−1) on a daily basis revealed the safety of the L. fermentum cultures. The probiotic feeding had no toxic effects on survival, body weight and food consumption with any of the dosages used throughout the treatment period. No statistically significant changes in relative organ weights and serum biochemical and hematological indices were found between the control and the probiotic fed animals. In addition to the safety attributes, the L. fermentum culture fed rats showed reduced serum cholesterol levels, macrovesicular steatosis and hepatocyte ballooning compared with control animals. Further, quantification of intestinal microbiota using real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis from animal feces indicated a significant increase and stability of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium counts but a decrease of Escherichia coli numbers. CONCLUSION This study of safety and beneficial features highlights the use of the two native L. fermentum isolates as potential probiotic food supplements. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

Functional characterization of α-Gal producing lactic acid bacteria with potential probiotic properties

“…In the selection of a probiotic, one of the mandatory properties is the absence of hemolytic activity, a virulence factor common to pathogenic microorganisms. None of the strains showed neither α nor β hemolytic property, a result consistent with previous reports 28 , 53 .…”

“…Lactic acid bacteria are generally recognized as catalase negative 24 , safe by health authorities and have a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status as stipulated by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA, USA) and Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) profile by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA; http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/587.pdf ). Lactic acid bacteria are naturally abundant in food 25 , 26 , well characterized and most studied for probiotic usage among several types of microbes 27 , 28 with the Lactobacillus genus being the most important in food processing within the group 29 , 30 .…”

Efficacy of Lactobacillus fermentum Isolated from the Vagina of a Healthy Woman against Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella Infections In Vivo

“…Animals were observed for clinical signs, mortality, and body weights for 14days following treatment. This study was performed according to the OECD Test Guidelines 423 with some modifications to test the acute oral toxicity of L. fermentum in the mouse models [ 32 ].…”

The Potential Role of Gut Microbiota in the Prevention and Treatment of Lipid Metabolism Disorders

“…Probiotics are living microorganisms that, when given in sufficient amounts, have a beneficial effect on the host by altering the balance of known flora in the intestine [ 26 ]. Probiotics are increasingly important for health benefits, but one obstacle to using new probiotic cultures is their safety [ 3 ]. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly check the biosafety and health benefits of probiotics before using them.…”

“…Yusuf et al [ 2 ] conducted large standardized case-control studies in 52 countries around the world and found that the incidence of dyslipidemia, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, abdominal obesity, and psychosocial factors is associated with an increased risk of heart disease in all regions of the world, but edible fruits and vegetables, regular physical exercise, and avoiding smoking can reduce the relative risk of myocardial infarction, among which smoking and dyslipidemia are the two most important risk factors. Previous studies have found that some Lactic Acid Bacteria can reduce cholesterol in high-fat diet animals [ 3 ], improve insulin resistance and obesity [ 4 ], and alleviate the damage to the intestinal mucosal barrier [ 5 ]. In the case of abnormal lipid metabolism, improving the structure of the gut microbiota may affect the physiological state of the host.…”