Oral intake of Lactiplantibacillus pentosus LPG1 Produces a Beneficial Regulation of Gut Microbiota in Healthy Persons: A Randomised, Placebo-Controlled, Single-Blind Trial

Abstract

The search for vegetable-origin probiotic microorganisms is a recent area of interest. This study conducted a phase I clinical trial to assess the effects of oral administration of Lactiplantibacillus pentosus LPG1, a natural strain with probiotic potential isolated from table olive fermentations, on the gut microbiota. The trial was a randomised, placebo-controlled, single-blind study involving 39 healthy volunteers. Group A (n = 20) ingested one capsule/day of L. pentosus LPG1 containing 1 × 1010 UFC/capsule, while Group B (n = 19) received one capsule/day containing only dextrose (placebo). The capsules were taken during breakfast for 30 consecutive days. Human stool samples were collected from all volunteers at the beginning (baseline) and at the end of the study (post-intervention) and were subjected to 16S rRNA metataxonomic analysis using Illumina MiSeq. Sequencing data at the genus level were statistically analysed using traditional methods and compositional data analysis (CoDA). After treatment, the alpha diversity in Group B (placebo) decreased according to an increase in the Berger and Parker dominance index (p-value < 0.05); moreover, dominance D increased and Simpson 1-D index decreased (p-value < 0.10). The Lactobacillus genus in the faeces was included in the CoDA signature balances (selbal and coda4microbiome) and played a notable role in distinguishing samples from baseline and post-intervention in Group A (LPG1). Additionally, ingesting L. pentosus LPG1 modified the gut microbiota post-intervention, increasing the presence of Parabacteroides and Agathobacter, but reducing Prevotella. These findings suggest that L. pentosus LPG1 is a potentially beneficial gut microbiota modulator in healthy persons.

Understanding the transcriptomic response of Lactiplantibacillus pentosus LPG1 during Spanish-style green table olive fermentations

“…This holds great importance given the probiotic potential presented by this specific strain of Lpb. pentosus ( Benítez-Cabello et al, 2019 , 2020 ; López-García et al, 2023b ). Therefore, LPG1 needs to express genes encoding surface adhesion proteins, as observed in previous studies on diverse Lpb.…”

“…This microorganism has also shown important potential probiotic features, proving to be an anti-inflammatory agent, reduce cholesterol levels, inhibit foodborne pathogens, and adhere to Caco−2 cells ( Benítez-Cabello et al, 2019 , 2020 ). Moreover, LPG1 has recently shown the capacity to modulate the intestinal microbiota of healthy individuals ( López-García et al, 2023b ).…”

Application of Compositional Data Analysis to Study the Relationship between Bacterial Diversity in Human Faeces and Sex, Age, and Weight

“…Complete details of the clinical trial conducted in the present work can be found in López-García et al [ 15 ]. This study followed the Declaration of Helsinki and was conducted at the Maimónides Biomedical Research Institute (IMIBIC, Cordoba, Spain) and the Reina Sofía University Hospital (Cordoba, Spain) between July and September 2021.…”

“…A total of 39 healthy volunteers from Seville ( n = 6) and Córdoba ( n = 33) provinces (Andalusian, Spain) fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were selected to participate in this study. Participants’ inclusion and exclusion criteria, baseline clinical parameters, and the participants’ metabolic and lipid profiles can be consulted in López-García et al [ 15 ]. Descriptive statistics analysis for sex, age, and weight variables of the 39 selected volunteers are shown in Table 1 .…”

“…A recent critical review of procedures for studying microbiome differential abundance methods found that different methodologies yield varying results across 38 data sets [ 14 ]. Recently, the application of CoDa analysis to study the composition of the human gut bacterial composition and the impact of probiotic intake has also been carried out by López-García et al [ 15 ].…”