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Background Selection of a microbial strain for the incorporation into food products requires in vitro and in vivo evaluations. A bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacterium (LAB), Pediococcus acidilactici Kp10, isolated from a traditional dried curd was assessed in vitro for its beneficial properties as a potential probiotic and starter culture. The inhibitory spectra of the bacterial strain against different gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, its cell surface hydrophobicity and resistance to phenol, its haemolytic, amylolytic and proteolytic activities, ability to produce acid and coagulate milk together with its enzymatic characteristics and adhesion property were all evaluated in vitro. Results P. acidilactici Kp10 was moderately tolerant to phenol and adhere to mammalian epithelial cells (Vero cells and ileal mucosal epithelium). The bacterium also exhibited antimicrobial activity against several gram-positive and gram-negative food-spoilage and food-borne pathogens such as Listeria monocytgenes ATCC 15313, Salmonella enterica ATCC 13311, Shigella sonnei ATCC 9290, Klebsiella oxytoca ATCC 13182, Enterobacter cloaca ATCC 35030 and Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC 12378. The absence of haemolytic activity and proteinase (trypsin) and the presence of a strong peptidase (leucine-arylamidase) and esterase-lipase (C4 and C8) were observed in this LAB strain. P. acidilactici Kp10 also produced acid, coagulated milk and has demonstrated proteolytic and amylolactic activities. Conclusion The properties exhibited by P. acidilactici Kp10 suggested its potential application as probiotic and starter culture in the food industry.

IgA secretion at mucosal sites is important for host defence against pathogens as well as maintaining the symbiosis with microorganisms present in the small intestine that affect IgA production. In the present study, we tested the ability of 5 strains of lactic acid bacteria stimulating IgA production, being Pediococcus acidilactici K15 selected as the most effective on inducing this protective immunoglobulin. We found that this response was mainly induced via IL-10, as efficiently as IL-6, secreted by K15-stimulated dendritic cells. Furthermore, bacterial RNA was largely responsible for the induction of these cytokines; double-stranded RNA was a major causative molecule for IL-6 production whereas single-stranded RNA was critical factor for IL-10 production. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, ingestion of K15 significantly increased the secretory IgA (sIgA) concentration in saliva compared with the basal level observed before this intervention. These results indicate that functional lactic acid bacteria induce IL-6 and IL-10 production by dendritic cells, which contribute to upregulating the sIgA concentration at mucosal sites in humans.

The increasing use of probiotics in livestock necessitates rigorous safety assessments to mitigate risks such as their inadvertent contribution to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and horizontal gene transfer (HGT). This study employs whole-genome sequencing using both long-read (GridION, Oxford Nanopore Technologies) and short-read (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) platforms to assess the genomic and plasmidome profiles of five Thai strains of Pediococcus acidilactici , that previously have been evaluated for probiotic potential in livestock. Our comprehensive analysis identified genes encoding AMR, virulence factors, and probiotic-related genes. Notably, strains AF2519 and AF2019 harbored plasmid-borne tet(M) and erm(B) genes, with tet(M) embedded in a novel composite genetic arrangement flanked by mobile elements, suggesting historical recombination and altered mobility potential. Strains IAF6519, IAF5919, and P72N, free from plasmid-borne AMR genes, emerged as safer candidates, lacking virulence genes. Phenotypic tests revealed discrepancies with genomic data; for instance, AF2019 was resistant to clindamycin without detectable genes, and showed susceptibility to tetracycline despite the presence of tet(M) . The absence of complete transfer machinery in AF2519 and AF2019 suggests a reduced HGT risk. These findings underscore the importance of integrating genomic and phenotypic approaches in probiotic safety evaluations. The presence of plasmid-borne AMR genes in certain strains advises caution in their use, impacting probiotic selection and regulatory compliance in agriculture. This research informs policies and best practices for safe probiotic deployment, ensuring both efficacy and safety.

This study aimed to achieve industrial-scale production of the Thai native swine-derived probiotic strain Pediococcus acidilactici 72 N (P72N) using a cost-effective, food-grade modified medium, and to assess the efficacy of this medium by evaluating the probiotic’s functional characteristics and metabolomic profile. Conventional and statistical optimization techniques were used to screen food-grade carbon sources (glucose, dextrose, sucrose) and nitrogen sources (beef extract, yeast extract, sweet whey) to develop the optimal formulation. The final medium contained 10 g/L dextrose, 45 g/L yeast extract, 5 g/L sodium acetate, 2 g/L ammonium citrate, 2 g/L di-potassium hydrogen phosphate, 1 g/L Tween 80, 0.1 g/L magnesium sulfate, and 0.05 g/L manganese sulfate. This formulation achieved significantly higher viable cell counts compared to commercial MRS medium. Scale-up fermentation in 5 L and 50 L fermenters under controlled conditions (37 °C, pH 6.5, 120 rpm) yielded viable cell counts exceeding 9.60 log CFU/mL within 12 h, reducing production costs by 67–86%. P72N in the modified medium demonstrated improved tolerance to environmental stresses. Metabolomic analysis revealed that P72N produced a variety of bioactive metabolites, particularly 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (1,4-DHNA) and indolelactic acid (ILA) which were detected in higher levels in the modified medium, demonstrating its suitability for industrial production of P72N as a potential feed additive for swine farming.

Probiotics are available from various sources, including the gastrointestinal tract of healthy animals. In this study, Pediococcus acidilactici was isolated for the first time from Felis catus and evaluated for its functionality. The findings revealed that P. acidilactici CLP03 exhibited inhibitory properties against pathogenic bacteria ( E. coli , Salmonella , S. aureus , P. aeruginosa , and L. monocytogenes ). Then, survival of strains exposed to pH 2.5, 0.3% bile salts, 0.5% bile salts, and gastrointestinal fluids was 63.97%, 98.84%, 87.95%, and 52.45%, respectively. Also, P. acidilactici CLP03 demonstrated high hydrophobicity (69.63–82.03%) and self-aggregation (73.51–81.44%), negative for hemolytic, and was susceptible to clindamycin. Finally, the scavenging rates of DPPH, ABTS, and O2- were 53.55%, 54.81%, and 85.13%, respectively, which demonstrated that the strain CLP03 has good oxidation resistance. All these characteristics contribute to the survival, colonization, and functionality of the strain in the gastrointestinal tract, indicating their excellent probiotic potential. On the other hand, animal experiments (KM mice, randomly assigned to four groups) showed that the gavage of CLP03 had no toxic effects on mice, increased the serum SOD content, and decreased the MDA and BUN contents, which revealed gavage of CLP03 significantly increased the antioxidant capacity of mice in vivo. In addition, complete genome annotation showed that P. acidilactici CLP03 had 1976 CDS genes, and the numbers of CRISPR, gene islands, and phages were 8, 3, and 6, respectively. In conclusion, P. acidilactici CLP03 could be a candidate functional cat probiotic to enhance animal health and welfare.

This study presents a comprehensive characterization of Pediococcus acidilactici strain P10, a novel probiotic isolated from native broiler chickens, integrating in vitro analyses with whole-genome sequencing. P10 demonstrates promising probiotic attributes, supported by both phenotypic and genomic evidence. The strain was non-hemolytic and exhibited high survival rates under simulated gastrointestinal conditions (95–99% in acidic pH, 55% in bile salts), with genomic analysis confirming the presence of associated stress resistance genes. Importantly, P10 displayed potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against key pathogens, underpinned by the identification of multiple putative bacteriocin-encoding genes. Furthermore, the strain showed strong adherence to intestinal epithelial cells, with corresponding adhesion genes identified in its genome. Beyond these phenotypic-genotypic correlations, P10’s whole-genome sequencing revealed significant novel findings. The 1.84 Mb genome confirmed P10 as P. acidilactici and, most notably, identified a complete, functional Type II-A CRISPR-Cas system. This system, with 17 phage-matching spacers, represents a robust antiviral defense mechanism, a key and distinct feature for probiotic application. Additionally, pan-genomic analysis highlighted 59 genes unique to P10 not found in other P. acidilactici strains, suggesting novel metabolic and adaptive capabilities previously uncharacterized within the species. In summary, Pediococcus acidilactici strain P10 is a highly promising probiotic, combining confirmed resilience and antimicrobial action with unique genomic advantages such as its specialized CRISPR-Cas system and novel genetic elements, making it a valuable candidate for applications in animal health and functional foods.

Lactic acid bacteria has been extensively used in food industry because of widespread properties and Pediococcus is among one of them. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive genomic analysis of Pediococcus acidilactici strain BCB1H to elucidate its genetic composition, functional elements, and potential biotechnological applications. The objectives include identifying key genomic features such as coding sequences, tRNA and rRNA genes, antibiotic resistance genes, and secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, which will highlight the adaptability and potential of P. acidilactici strain BCB1H for use in a variety of industrial and therapeutic applications. P. acidilactici strain BCB1H was analyzed using whole-genome sequencing, which used advanced sequencing technologies to obtain comprehensive genomic data. Key genomic features, such as coding sequences, tRNA and rRNA genes, antibiotic resistance genes, and secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, were identified through bioinformatics analyses. The genomic analysis of P. acidilactici s train BCB1H revealed a genome size of approximately 1.92 million base pairs with a GC content of 42.4%. The annotation identified 1,895 genes across 192 subsystems, highlighting the metabolic pathways and functional categories. Notably, specialty genes associated with carbohydrate metabolism, stress response, pathogenicity, and amino acid synthesis were identified, underscoring the versatility and potential applications in food technology and medicine. These findings shed light on the genetic makeup and functional potential of P. acidilactici strain BCB1H, highlighting its flexibility and industrial importance. The genetic traits discovered suggest its prospective use in probiotics, food preservation, and biotechnological advancements.

The nutritional challenge faced by the monogastric animals due to the chelation effects of phytic acid, fuel the research on bioprospecting of probiotics for phytase production. Pediococcus acidilactici SMVDUDB2 isolated from Kalarei, exhibited extracellular phytase activity of 5.583 U/mL after statistical optimization of fermentation conditions viz . peptone (1.27%); temperature (37 °C); pH (6.26) and maltose (1.43%). The phytase enzyme possessed optimum pH and temperature of 5.5 and 37 °C, respectively and was thermostable at 60 °C. The enzyme was purified 6.42 fold with a specific activity of 245.12 U/mg with hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The purified enzyme had K m and V max values of 0.385 mM and 4.965 μmol/min respectively, with sodium phytate as substrate. The strain depicted more than 80% survival rate at low pH (pH 2.0, 3.0), high bile salt concentration (0.3 and 0.5%), after gastrointestinal transit, highest hydrophobicity affinity with ethyl acetate (33.33 ± 0%), autoaggregation (77.68 ± 0.68%) as well as coaggregation (73.57 ± 0.47%) with Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 3160). The strain exhibited antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 121), Mycobacterium smegmatis (MTCC 994), Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 3160), Proteus vulgaris (MTCC 426), Escherichia coli (MTCC 1652) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (MTCC 1408). The amount of exopolysaccharide produced by the strain was 2 g/L. This strain having the capability of phytate degradation and possessing probiotic traits could find application in food and feed sectors.

Biotechnological production of vanillin is gaining momentum as the natural synthesis of vanillin that is very expensive. Ferulic acid (FA), a costly compound, is used as the substrate to produce vanillin biotechnologically and the making process is still expensive. Therefore, this study investigated the practical use of an agrobiomass waste, rice bran, and provides the first evidence of a cost-effective production of vanillin within 24 h of incubation using recombinant Pediococcus acidilactici BD16 ( fcs + / ech + ). Introduction of two genes encoding feruloyl CoA synthetase and enoyl CoA hydratase into the native strain increased vanillin yield to 4.01 g L −1 . Bioconversion was monitored through the transformation of phenolic compounds. A hypothetical metabolic pathway of rice bran during the vanillin bioconversion was proposed with the inserted pathway from ferulic acid to vanillin and compared with that of other metabolic engineered strains. These results could be a gateway of using recombinant lactic acid bacteria for industrial production of vanillin from agricultural waste.

Pediococcus acidilactici NCDC 252 is a facultative anaerobe of dairy origin that possessed all studied in vitro probiotic attributes and several useful enzyme activities. Its whole genome was sequenced and analysed for its evolutionary relationship with other lactic acid bacteria (LAB). This is a novel sequence and first report of genome sequence of P. acidilactici of dairy origin. Its genome is relatively larger than other studied genomes of P. acidilactici and is comprised of 40 scaffolds that totals to 3,243,337 bases and 44.5% GC content. A total of 3054 coding sequences (CDS) were identified by RAST and DIAMOND servers. The genome also encoded different enzyme activities required for utilization of various carbohydrates. This was also confirmed by carbohydrate utilization studies. The genome also encoded genes for probiotics properties. The phylogenetic analysis of P. acidilactici NCDC 252 genome was done using Maximum Parsimony and Maximum Likelihood methods to study its evolution and relatedness to other LABs based upon their 16S rDNA sequences. The strain exhibited highest resemblance to Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 and is also much close to P. acidilactici based on similarity of ribosomal protein. The strain seems to have acquired some genes for its adaptation in dairy/environmental niche. This genome sequence is novel with genome more similar to L. plantarum and biochemical and phenotypic characteristics of P. acidilactici.