Plant-derived Lactic Acid Bacterium Research Articles

Antiobesity effect of Pediococcus pentosaceus LP28 on overweight subjects: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

The population of the obese is increasing worldwide. Prevention and improvement of obesity are indispensable for decreasing the risk of metabolic disorders. We have recently shown that obesity and fatty liver are reduced by a plant-derived lactic acid bacterium, Pediococcus pentosaceus LP28 (LP28), in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. The aim of the present clinical study is to prove that LP28 is effective for reducing body fat and body weight, as shown in the experiment using mice. The clinical trial was carried out as a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study comprising 62 subjects (20-70 years of age, BMI 25-30 kg/m(2)). These subjects were randomly assigned to three groups that received living LP28, heat-killed LP28 or a placebo powder, administered orally once a day for 12 weeks. Heat-killed LP28 reduced BMI (0.45 kg/m(2), 95% CI (0.04, 0.86), P=0.035), body fat percentage (1.11%, (0.39, 1.82), P=0.002), body fat mass (1.17 kg (0.43, 1.92), P=0.004) and waist circumference (2.84 cm (0.74, 4.93), P=0.009) when compared with a placebo group. Fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR and serum lipids levels did not change by either living LP28 or heat-killed LP28 intake. Heat-killed LP28 displays an antiobesity effect that reduces BMI, body fat and waist circumference, suggesting that the plant-derived lactic acid bacterium LP28 would be a promising preventive of metabolic syndrome.

Characterization of the LP28 strain-specific exopolysaccharide biosynthetic gene cluster found in the whole circular genome of Pediococcus pentosaceus

We have previously isolated a lactic acid bacterium (LAB), Pediococcus pentosaceus LP28, from the longan fruit Euphoria longana. Since the plant-derived LAB strain produces an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS), in this study, we analyzed the chemical structure and the biosynthesizing genes for the EPS.The EPS, which was purified from the LP28 culture broth, was classified into acidic and neutral EPSs with a molecular mass of about 50kDa and 40kDa, respectively. The acidic EPS consisted of glucose, galactose, mannose, and N-acetylglucosamine moieties. Interestingly, since pyruvate residue was detected in the hydrolyzed acidic EPS, one of the four sugars may be modified with pyruvate. On the other hand, the neutral EPS consisted of glucose, mannose, and N-acetylglucosamine; pyruvate was scarcely detected in the polysaccharide molecule.As a first step to deduce the probiotic function of the EPS together with the biosynthesis, we determined the whole genome sequence of the LP28 strain, demonstrating that the genome is a circular DNA, which is composed of 1,774,865bp (1683 ORFs) with a GC content of 37.1%. We also found that the LP28 strain harbors a plasmid carrying 6 ORFs composed of 5366bp with a GC content of 36.5%. By comparing all of the genome sequences among the LP28 strain and four strains of P. pentosaceus reported previously, we found that 53 proteins in the LP28 strain display a similarity of less than 50% with those in the four P. pentosaceus strains. Significantly, 4 of the 53 proteins, which may be enzymes necessary for the EPS production on the LP28 strain, were absent in the other four P. pentosaceus strains and displayed less than 50% similarity with other LAB species. The EPS-biosynthetic gene cluster detected only in the LP28 genome consisted of 12 ORFs containing a priming enzyme, five glycosyltransferases, and a putative polysaccharide pyruvyltransferase.

Characterization and Mutational Analysis of a Two-Polypeptide Bacteriocin Produced by Citrus Iyo-Derived Lactobacillus brevis 174A.

In the present study, we isolated a lactic acid bacterium (LAB) from a citrus iyo fruit and identified it as Lactobacillus brevis. This plant-derived LAB strain, designated 174A, produces bacteriocin consisting of two polypeptides designated brevicin 174A-β and 174A-γ. Although each polypeptide itself displays antibacterial activity, the ability is enhanced 100 fold by mixing both polypeptides at a 1 : 1 ratio. Significantly, brevicin 174A inhibits even the growth of several pathogenic bacteria that are more resistant to a lantibiotic bacteriocin, nisin A, which is commonly utilized as a preservative added to foodstuffs. Structural analysis of the 174A bacteriocin using a program that predicts secondary structure suggests that both component polypeptides have a positively charged N-terminal region, as well as two cysteine residues in both the N- and C-terminals. Judging from a mutational analysis of the antibacterial polypeptides, these unique amino acid sequences of 174A-β might be important for the expression of the synergistic activity that occurs in the presence of the two polypeptides combined.

The Obesity and Fatty Liver Are Reduced by Plant-Derived Pediococcus pentosaceus LP28 in High Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice

We evaluated the effect of an oral administration of a plant-derived lactic acid bacterium, Pediococcus pentosaceus LP28 (LP28), on metabolic syndrome by using high fat diet-induced obese mice. The obese mice were divided into 2 groups and fed either a high fat or regular diet for 8 weeks. Each group was further divided into 3 groups, which took LP28, another plant-derived Lactobacillus plantarum SN13T (SN13T) or no lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The lean control mice were fed a regular diet without inducing obesity prior to the experiment. LP28 reduced body weight gain and liver lipid contents (triglyceride and cholesterol), in mice fed a high fat diet for 8 weeks (40%, 54%, and 70% less than those of the control group without LAB, and P = 0.018, P<0.001, and P = 0.021, respectively), whereas SN13T and the heat treated LP28 at 121°C for 15 min were ineffective. Abdominal visceral fat in the high fat diet mice fed with LP28 was also lower than that without LAB by 44%, although it was not significant but borderline (P = 0.076). The sizes of the adipocytes and the lipid droplets in the livers were obviously decreased. A real-time PCR analyses showed that lipid metabolism-related genes, such as CD36 (P = 0.013), SCD1 encoding stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (not significant but borderline, P = 0.066), and PPARγ encoding peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (P = 0.039), were down-regulated by taking LP28 continuously, when compared with those of the control group. In conclusion, LP28 may be a useful LAB strain for the prevention and reduction of the metabolic syndrome.

Establishment of an in Vitro Peyer's Patch Cell Culture System Correlative to in Vivo Study Using Intestine and Screening of Lactic Acid Bacteria Enhancing Intestinal Immunity

Some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are known as representative of probiotics. To screen LAB effective to enhance intestinal immunity, in the present study, we developed an accurate and convenient in vitro evaluation system using Peyer's patch cells (PP-cells) isolated from the mice intestine. We observed that the amount of immunoglobulin A (IgA) produced by PP-cells co-cultured with LAB was well correlative to that in PP-cells, intestine and feces isolated from live mice after oral administration of LAB [correlation coefficient (r)=0.888, 0.883, and 0.920, respectively]. In addition, using this in vitro system, we suggest that the IgA level of PP-cells co-culturing with plant-derived LAB might be more enhanced than with animal-derived LAB.

Improvement of constipation and liver function by plant-derived lactic acid bacteria: A double-blind, randomized trial

ObjectiveLactic acid bacteria (LAB) contribute to human health; however, the probiotic properties vary among strains classified into the same species. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of yogurts made by different types of LAB on the gastrointestinal system. The yogurts were also evaluated by measuring serum lipid contents and liver functional indicators as a secondary objective. MethodsHealthy human adults (n = 68) with some complaints with regard to intestinal health, including constipation and diarrhea, were randomly assigned to receive one of three types of yogurt in a double-blind manner: type A, a yogurt made by plant-derived LAB (mainly Lactobacillus [Lb.] plantarum SN35N); type B, a yogurt made by plant-derived LAB (mainly Lb. plantarum SN13T); and type C, a yogurt made by animal-derived LAB (mainly Lactococcus lactis A6 and Streptococcus thermophilus 510) as a control. The subjects consumed 100 g of yogurt daily for 6 wk. Data were collected from clinical visits at 2-wk intervals and by diaries used to record defecation and health conditions. ResultsDrastic and constant increments of defecation frequency in subjects with constipation were observed with type A and B yogurts but not with type C yogurt. Type B and C yogurts resulted in decreases in total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The serum concentrations of liver functional parameters were improved by the type B yogurt (12–25% reduction). ConclusionThe present study suggests that Lb. plantarum SN13T exhibits a superior probiotic effect on constipation in addition to improving the serum lipid contents and liver function.