Explore the vast range of titles available.

Fermentation processes have been used for centuries for food production and preservation. Besides the contribution of fermentation to food quality, recently, scientific interest in the beneficial nature of fermented foods as a reservoir of probiotic candidates is increasing. Fermented food microbes are gaining attention for their health-promoting potential and for being genetically related to human probiotic bacteria. Among them, Lactiplantibacillus (Lpb.) plantarum strains, with a long history in the food industry as starter cultures in the production of a wide variety of fermented foods, are being investigated for their beneficial properties which are similar to those of probiotic strains, and they are also applied in clinical interventions. Food-associated Lpb. plantarum showed a good adaptation and adhesion ability in the gastro-intestinal tract and the potential to affect host health through various beneficial activities, e.g., antimicrobial, antioxidative, antigenotoxic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory, in several in vitro and in vivo studies. This review provides an overview of fermented-associated Lpb. plantarum health benefits with evidence from clinical studies. Probiotic criteria that fermented-associated microbes need to fulfil are also reported.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) used in the food industry, mainly for the production of dairy products, are able to synthetize exopolysaccharides (EPS). EPS play a central role in the assessment of rheological and sensory characteristics of dairy products since they positively influence texture and organoleptic properties. Besides these, EPS have gained relevant interest for pharmacological and nutraceutical applications due to their biocompatibility, non-toxicity and biodegradability. These bioactive compounds may act as antioxidant, cholesterol-lowering, antimicrobial and prebiotic agents. This review provides an overview of exopolysaccharide-producing LAB, with an insight on the factors affecting EPS production, their dairy industrial applications and health benefits.

Bile acid (BA) signatures are altered in many disease states. BA metabolism is an important microbial function to assist gut colonization and persistence, as well as microbial survival during gastro intestinal (GI) transit and it is an important criteria for potential probiotic bacteria. Microbes that express bile salt hydrolase (BSH), gateway BA modifying enzymes, are considered to have an advantage in the gut. This property is reported as selectively limited to gut-associated microbes. Food-associated microbes have the potential to confer health benefits to the human consumer. Here, we report that food associated Lactobacillus plantarum strains are capable of BA metabolism, they can withstand BA associated stress and propagate, a recognised important characteristic for GIT survival. Furthermore, we report that these food associated Lactobacillus plantarum strains have the selective ability to alter BA signatures in favour of receptor activation that would be beneficial to humans. Indeed, all of the strains examined showed a clear preference to alter human glycol-conjugated BAs, although clear strain-dependent modifications were also evident. This study demonstrates that BA metabolism by food-borne non-pathogenic bacteria is beneficial to both microbe and man and it identifies an evolutionary-conserved characteristic, previously considered unique to gut residents, among food-associated non-pathogenic isolates.

Table olives are one of the oldest vegetable fermented foods in the Mediterranean area. Beside their economic impact, fermented table olives represent also an important healthy food in the Mediterranean diet, because of their high content of bioactive and health-promoting compounds. However, olive fermentation is still craft-based following traditional processes, which can lead to a not fully predictable final product with the risk of spontaneous alterations. Nowadays, food industries have to face consumer demands for safe and healthy products. This review offers an overview about the main technologies used for olive fermentation and the role of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts characterizing this niche during the fermentation. Particular attention is offered to the selection and use of microorganisms as starter cultures to fasten and improve the safety of table olives. The development and implementation of multifunctional starter cultures in order to obtain heath-oriented table olives is also discussed.

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) producing lactic acid bacteria have been claimed to confer various health benefits to the host, including the ability to face oxidative and inflammatory-related stress. This study investigated the ability of food-borne Lactiplantibacillus (Lpb.) plantarum to improve the antioxidant activity of fermented milks by producing EPSs. Two Lpb. plantarum strains, selected as lower and higher EPSs producers, have been applied in lab-scale fermented milk production, in combination with conventional starters. Antioxidant activity was investigated in vitro using DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) assays while the ability to modulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was evaluated in an intestinal healthy model, subjected to both oxidative and inflammatory stress. Furthermore, to verify whether digestion affects functionality, fermented milks were evaluated before and after in vitro-simulated INFOGEST digestion. The results showed an improved antioxidant activity of fermented milk enriched with Lpb. plantarum LT100, the highest EPSs producer. Furthermore, the data showed a different ROS modulation with a protective anti-inflammatory effect of samples enriched with Lpb. plantarum strains. Our data suggest the use of selected EPS-producing strains of Lpb. plantarum as a natural strategy to enrich the functionality of fermented milks in terms of ROS modulation and inflammatory-related stress.

Environmental pollutants used as plasticizers in food packaging and in thousands of everyday products have become harmful for their impact on human health. Among them, phthalates, recognized as emerging endocrine disruptors (EDs) can induce toxic effects leading to different health disorders. Only few studies evaluated the effects of di- n -hexyl phthalate (DnHP) in in vivo models and no studies have been conducted to investigate the effect of DnHP on the endocannabinoid system (ECS), one of the majors signaling pathways involved in the microbiota–gut–brain axis. Due to the current relevance of probiotic bacteria as beneficial dietary interventions, the present study was aimed at evaluating the potential neuroprotective impact of daily administration of Lactiplantibacillus (Lpb.) plantarum IMC513 on zebrafish adults exposed to DnHP, with a focus on ECS modulation. Gene expression analysis revealed a promising protective role of probiotic through the restoration of ECS genes expression to the control level, in the brain of zebrafish daily exposed to DnHP. In addition, the levels of main endocannabinoids were also modulated. These findings confirm the potential ability of probiotics to interact at central level by modulating the ECS, suggesting the use of probiotics as innovative dietary strategy to counteract alterations by EDs exposure.

In order to develop properly, the brain requires the intricate interconnection of genetic factors and pre-and postnatal environmental events. The gut–brain axis has recently raised considerable interest for its involvement in regulating the development and functioning of the brain. Consequently, alterations in the gut microbiota composition, due to antibiotic administration, could favor the onset of neurodevelopmental disorders. Literature data suggest that the modulation of gut microbiota is often altered in individuals affected by neurodevelopmental disorders. It has been shown in animal studies that metabolites released by an imbalanced gut–brain axis, leads to alterations in brain function and deficits in social behavior. Here, we report the potential effects of antibiotic administration, before and after birth, in relation to the risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders. We also review the potential role of probiotics in treating gastrointestinal disorders associated with gut dysbiosis after antibiotic administration, and their possible effect in ameliorating neurodevelopmental disorder symptoms.

This study investigated the main microbial groups characterizing the interior surface of oak barrels from different years (1890, 1895, 1920, 1975, 2008) used in the production of vino cotto. The yeasts were characterized for the following properties: γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production, antioxidant activity, air–liquid interfacial biofilm formation, and anthocyanin adsorption capacity. Community-level physiological profile analysis revealed that the microbial communities inside the barrels used the tested carbon sources in different manners. The following yeast species were identified: Millerozyma farinosa, Zygosaccharomyces bisporus, Wickerhamiella versatilis, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, Starmerella lactis-condensi, and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. All the strains were able to produce GABA, and S. lactis-condensi, Z. bisporus and Z. rouxii were the highest producers (more than 600 mg/L). The Z. rouxii and Z. bailii strains showed the highest antioxidant activity. Only seven strains out of ten M. farinosa formed air–liquid interfacial biofilm. None of the M. farinosa strains adsorbed anthocyanins on their cell wall. The other strains adsorbed anthocyanins in a strain-dependent way, and the highest adsorption was observed for the W. versatilis strains. The yeasts isolated in this study could be used to increase the functional properties and the quality of fermented foods and beverages.

Background/Objectives: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encompasses several neurodevelopmental disorders, whose onset is correlated to genetic and environmental factors. Although the etiopathogenesis is not entirely clear, the involvement of inflammatory processes, the endocannabinoid system, and alterations in the permeability and composition of the intestinal microbiota are known to occur. Methods: This review systematically explores the literature available to date on the most widely used murine models for the study of ASD, the main biomarkers investigated for the diagnosis of ASD, and the therapeutic potential of probiotics, with a particular focus on the use of strains of Lactiplantibacillus (Lpb.) plantarum in in vivo models and clinical trials for ASD. Results: Several studies have demonstrated that targeting multifactorial biomarkers in animal models and patients contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying ASD. Moreover, accumulating evidence supports the beneficial effect of probiotics, including Lpb. plantarum, as a promising alternative therapeutic strategy, capable of modulating gut–brain axis communication. Conclusions: Probiotic supplementation, particularly with selected Lpb. plantarum strains, is emerging as a potential complementary approach for ameliorating ASD-related gastrointestinal and behavioral symptoms. However, further large-scale clinical studies are essential to validate their efficacy and determine optimal treatment protocols and dietary strategies.

ABSTRACT Lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus plantarum, has been applied, for centuries, for food and drink fermentations. Given the benefits associated with fermented products, Lb. plantarum strains have captured considerable industrial and scientific interest, so that they are included as fundamental components of functional foods. Indeed, some strains are marketed as probiotics. In the present study, food- and gut-associated Lb. plantarum isolates were genetically characterized by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and phenotypically characterized for properties that could influence their probiotic potential. MLST and phylogenetic analysis stratified 22 Lb. plantarum isolates into six lineages. The isolates were further phenotypically characterized by an in vitro assay to assess their potential gut community influence via a limited number of assays including acidification activity, strain displacement activity and their intrinsic range of antibiotic resistance. Given growing recognition of the benefits of fermented foods, and the prevalence of Lb. plantarum in these applications, this study highlights analysis of a subset of preliminary important strain-specific features. These features are of interest to all stakeholders, to inform isolate comparison and selection for current functional food associations, and that can serve as a basis for future strain and food-microbe fermentation product development. This study supports a specific preliminary platform to characterize Lactobacillus plantarum intended for fermentation purposes and for probiotic consumption on the basis of genotype and phenotype.