• Weizmannia coagulans
• apoptosis
• autophagy
• colorectal cancer
• postbiotics

• analysis methods
• immunotherapy
• intratumoral microbiome
• treatment application
• tumor‐promotive and tumor‐suppressive mechanisms

• Humans
• Neoplasms/therapy
• Neoplasms/microbiology
• Carcinogenesis
• Gastrointestinal Microbiome
• Tumor Microenvironment
• Microbiota
• Animals

• 82372943 National Natural Science Foundation of China
• 82303610 National Natural Science Foundation of China
• 2022JJ20095 Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China
• 2023RC3074 Hunan Youth Science and Technology Talent Project
• 2023MD734131 China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
• CSTB2023NSCQBHX0002 Chongqing Postdoctoral Science Foundation
• Kuanren Talents Program of the second affiliated hospital of Chongqing Medical University
• 2023CQBSHTB3095 Chongqing Postdoctoral Research Special Funding Project
• National Natural Science Foundation of China
• China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
• Chongqing Postdoctoral Science Foundation

• FAERS
• adverse drug reactions
• capecitabine
• gastrointestinal haemorrhage
• gastrointestinal obstructions
• gastrointestinal ulceration

• Colorectal cancer
• Dysbiosis
• Prebiotics
• Probiotics

• Humans
• Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology
• Quality of Life
• Probiotics/therapeutic use

• Humans
• Diarrhea/chemically induced
• Diarrhea/prevention & control
• Probiotics/therapeutic use
• Lactobacillus
• Anti-Bacterial Agents/adverse effects
• Neoplasms/drug therapy
• Neoplasms/complications
• Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects

• Cancer
• Immunomodulatory
• Microbiome
• Probiotics

• Humans
• Female
• Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy
• Probiotics/therapeutic use
• Probiotics/pharmacology
• Gastrointestinal Microbiome
• Microbiota
• Dysbiosis

• gut microbiota
• hepatocellular carcinoma
• immune evasion
• immunotherapy
• metabolism
• tumor immune microenvironment

• Humans
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
• Ecosystem
• Immune Evasion
• Tumor Microenvironment
• Liver Neoplasms
• Immunosuppressive Agents

• National Natural Science Foundation of China

• Bacteriology
• Colorectal cancer
• Gastrointestinal
• Microbiome
• Vaccine

• diagnosis
• gut microbiota
• gut-liver axis
• hepatocellular carcinoma
• treatment

Nematodes of the genus Trichinella are among the most widespread parasites of domestic and wild omnivores and predatory animals. The present study aimed to evaluate the antiparasitic effect of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393 (original) and L. paracasei CNCM in CD-1 mice experimentally infected with Trichinella britovi. Four groups of 20 mice (10 females and 10 males/group) were used, with two control (C) groups and two experimental (E) groups, in which each animal received a daily oral dose of 100 µL of 10⁵ CFU/mL probiotics in Ringer’s solution. On day 7, all mice (except the negative control group) were infected orally with Trichinella (100 larvae/animal) as well as the two probiotics. On day 9 post-infection (p.i.), 10 mice/group were euthanized, and the presence of adult parasites in the intestinal content and wall was tested. On day 32 p.i., 10 mice/group were euthanized, then trichinoscopy and artificial digestion were performed to assess the muscle infection with T. britovi. On day 9 p.i., the experimental group pretreated with L. casei ATCC 393 (6.3 ± 3.03) showed a significantly lower number of adult parasites in the intestinal wall compared with the positive control group (24.6 ± 4.78). Additionally, a significantly lower adult parasite count in the intestinal wall was registered in female mice pretreated with L. paracasei CNCM (7.4 ± 4.71) compared to female mice from the positive control (29.0 ± 5.17). No statistically relevant results were obtained concerning the male mice or the data obtained at 32 days p.i., irrespective of mice gender.

Fermented dairy products are the good source of different species of live lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which are beneficial microbes well characterized for their health-promoting potential. Traditionally, dietary intake of fermented dairy foods has been related to different health-promoting benefits including antimicrobial activity and modulation of the immune system, among others. In recent years, emerging evidence suggests a contribution of dairy LAB in the prophylaxis and therapy of non-communicable diseases. Live bacterial cells or their metabolites can directly impact physiological responses and/or act as signalling molecules mediating more complex communications. This review provides up-to-date knowledge on the interactions between LAB isolated from dairy products (dairy LAB) and human health by discussing the concept of the food–gut-health axis. In particular, some bioactivities and probiotic potentials of dairy LAB have been provided on their involvement in the gut–brain axis and non-communicable diseases mainly focusing on their potential in the treatment of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel diseases, and cancer.

• dairy food products
• disease prevention
• gut microbiota
• health benefits
• lactic acid bacteria

• Liver cancer
• Microbes
• Microbiota dysbiosis
• Oral cancer
• Probiotics
• Therapy

Helminths are a major health concern as over one billion people are infected worldwide and, despite the multiple efforts made, there is still no effective human vaccine against them. The most important drugs used nowadays to control helminth infections belong to the benzimidazoles, imidazothiazoles (levamisole) and macrocyclic lactones (avermectins and milbemycins) families. However, in the last 20 years, many publications have revealed increasing anthelmintic resistance in livestock which is both an economical and a potential health problem, even though very few have reported similar findings in human populations. To deal with this worrying limitation of anthelmintic drugs, alternative treatments based on plant extracts or probiotics have been developed. Probiotics are defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as live microorganisms, which, when consumed in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit to the host. It has been proven that probiotic microbes have the ability to exert an immunomodulatory effect both at the mucosa and the systemic level. The immune response against gastrointestinal helminths is characterized as a type 2 response, with high IgE levels, increased numbers and/or activity of Th2 cells, type 2 innate lymphoid cells, eosinophils, basophils, mast cells, and alternatively activated macrophages. The oral administration of probiotics may contribute to controlling gastrointestinal helminth infections since it has been demonstrated that these microorganisms stimulate dendritic cells to elicit a type 2 or regulatory immune response, among other effects on the host immune system. Here we review the current knowledge about the use of probiotic bacteria as anthelmintic therapy or as a complement to traditional anthelmintic treatments. Considering all research papers reviewed, we may conclude that the effect generated by probiotics on helminth infection depends not only on the parasite species, their stage and localization but also on the administration scheme.

• helminths
• inflammation
• probiotics
• regulatory immune response
• type 2 immune response

Disruptions in the human gut microbiome have been associated with a cycle of hepatocyte injury and regeneration characteristic of chronic liver disease. Evidence suggests that the gut microbiota can promote the development of hepatocellular carcinoma through the persistence of this inflammation by inducing genetic and epigenetic changes leading to cancer. As the gut microbiome is known for its effect on host metabolism and immune response, it comes as no surprise that the gut microbiome may have a role in the response to therapeutic strategies such as immunotherapy and chemotherapy for liver cancer. Gut microbiota may influence the efficacy of immunotherapy by regulating the responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Here, we review the mechanisms by which gut microbiota influences hepatic carcinogenesis, the immune checkpoint inhibitors currently being used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as summarize the current findings to support the potential critical role of gut microbiome in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) immunotherapy.

• gut microbiome
• hepatocellular carcinoma
• immunotherapy
• microbiota

• Animals
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/immunology
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/microbiology
• Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects
• Humans
• Immunity
• Immunologic Factors/therapeutic use
• Immunotherapy/methods
• Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy
• Liver Neoplasms/immunology
• Liver Neoplasms/microbiology

• PPARs
• carcinogenesis
• gut microbiota
• hepatocellular carcinoma

• National Natural Science Foundation of China
• Yangfan Project of Shanghai Science and Technology Commission
• Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai

• Carcinogenesis
• Dysbiosis
• Hepatocellular carcinoma
• Microbiota
• Probiotics

• Lactococcus lactis
• TRAIL
• apoptosis
• colorectal cancer
• probiotics

The association between dairy intake and breast cancer risk has not been well investigated, especially in the Chinese population. This study aimed to examine the association between the weekly frequency of dairy intake and the risk of breast cancer among women in Northern and Eastern China, and to investigate whether the association varied by hormone receptor status. A total of 1,286 cases of breast cancer and 1,461 controls were enrolled in this study. Dairy intake was obtained using a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Frequency of dairy intake per week was divided into four categories (<1 day/week, 1–2 days/week, 3–4 days/week and 5–7 days/week). Unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Stratified analyses were performed by residence, age, and education level. Separate analyses were also conducted for different estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status. This analysis revealed that weekly frequency of dairy intake was strongly inversely associated with breast cancer risk, with an adjusted OR for intake 5–7 days/week of 0.53 (95% CI=0.39–0.72, P<0.001 for trend). In the stratified analyses, women who consumed dairy 5–7 days/week had a lower risk of breast cancer in urban areas (OR=0.45, 95% CI=0.30–0.66, P<0.001 for trend), in the group 45–59 years old (OR=0.39, 95% CI=0.26–0.60, P<0.001 for trend), and in the group educated to senior high school or above (OR=0.39, 95% CI=0.25–0.59, P<0.001 for trend). There was an inverse association between the weekly frequency of dairy intake and the risk of ER⁺, PR⁺, and ER⁺PR⁺ breast cancer (all P<0.001 for trend). These results indicated that the weekly frequency of dairy intake was inversely associated with the risk of breast cancer among women in Northern and Eastern China.

• breast cancer risk
• case-control study China
• dairy intake
• hormone receptor

• Colorectal cancer
• Diet
• Gut microbiota
• Immune response
• Inflammation

• Colorectal Neoplasms/diet therapy
• Colorectal Neoplasms/immunology
• Colorectal Neoplasms/microbiology
• Colorectal Neoplasms/prevention & control
• Dysbiosis/immunology
• Dysbiosis/microbiology
• Gastrointestinal Microbiome/immunology
• Humans
• Immunomodulation/immunology
• Prebiotics/administration & dosage
• Probiotics/administration & dosage
• Synbiotics/administration & dosage
• Treatment Outcome

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are major inhabitants and part of the normal microflora of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of humans and animals. Despite substantial evidence supporting the beneficial properties of LAB, only a few studies have addressed the migration and colonization of probiotic bacteria in the GIT. The reason for this is mostly due to the limitations, or lack of, efficient reporter systems. Here we describe the development and application of a non-invasive in vivo bioluminescence reporter system to study, in real-time, the spatial and temporal persistence of Lactobacillus plantarum 423 and Enterococcus mundtii ST4SA in the intestinal tract of mice.

This study reports on the application of the firefly luciferase gene (ffluc) from Photinus pyralis to develop luciferase-expressing L. plantarum 423 and E. mundtii ST4SA, using a Lactococcus lactis NICE system on a high copy number plasmid (pNZ8048) and strong constitutive lactate dehydrogenase gene promoters (Pldh and STldh). The reporter system was used for in vivo and ex vivo monitoring of both probiotic LAB strains in the GIT of mice after single and multiple oral administrations. Enterococcus mundtii ST4SA reached the large intestine 45 min after gavage, while L. plantarum 423 reached the cecum/colon after 90 min. Both strains predominantly colonized the cecum and colon after five consecutive daily administrations. Enterococcus mundtii ST4SA persisted in faeces at higher numbers and for more days compared to L. plantarum 423.

Our findings demonstrate the efficiency of a high-copy number vector, constitutive promoters and bioluminescence imaging to study the colonization and persistence of L. plantarum 423 and E. mundtii ST4SA in the murine GIT. The system allowed us to differentiate between intestinal transit times of the two strains in the digestive tract. This is the first report of bioluminescence imaging of a luciferase-expressing E. mundtii strain to study colonization dynamics in the murine model. The bioluminescence system developed in this study may be used to study the in vivo colonization dynamics of other probiotic LAB.

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-018-1315-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

• Colonization
• Enterococcus mundtii ST4SA
• Gastrointestinal tract
• In vivo bioluminescence imaging
• Intestinal persistence
• Lactic acid bacteria
• Lactobacillus plantarum 423
• Luciferase

• Endotoxemia
• gut microbiota
• gut-liver axis
• hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
• probiotics

• Lactobacillus paracasei GMNL-32
• Lactobacillus reuteri GMNL-263
• Lactobacillus reuteri GMNL-89
• DPPH 1
• FoxP3 forkhead box P3
• GMNL-263 Lactobacillus reuteri GMNL-263
• GMNL-32 Lactobacillus paracasei GMNL-32
• GMNL-89 Lactobacillus reuteri GMNL-89
• MDA malondialdehyde
• MyD88 myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88
• PI3K phosphoinositide 3-kinase
• SLE systemic lupus erythematosus
• TLR toll-like receptor
• 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl
• Comprehensive treatment
• Systemic lupus erythematosus

• Lactobacillus paracasei GMNL-32
• Lactobacillus reuteri GMNL-263
• Lactobacillus reuteri GMNL-89
• CRP C-reactive protein
• ERK extracellular signal-regulated kinase
• GMNL-263 Lactobacillus reuteri GMNL-263
• GMNL-32 Lactobacillus paracasei GMNL-32
• GMNL-89 Lactobacillus reuteri GMNL-89
• IKK IκB kinase
• JNK c-Jun N-terminal kinase
• MAPK mitogen-activated protein kinase
• MMP matrix metalloproteinase
• SLE systemic lupus erythematosus
• TUNEL terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling
• iNOS inducible nitric oxide synthase
• Liver disorders
• Probiotics
• Systemic lupus erythematosus

• bioactive compounds
• fermented foods
• functional properties
• health benefits
• microorganisms

• Anti-inflammation
• Antioxidant
• Antiproliferation
• Immunity
• Probiotics

• Breast cancer
• Enteric
• Immune system
• Mammary cancer
• Microbes
• Neutrophils
• Regulatory T cells

The population tends to consume foods that in addition to their nutritional values can offer some benefits to their health. There are many epidemiological evidences and research studies in animal models suggesting that diet plays an important role in breast cancer prevention or progression. This review summarized some of the relevant researches about nutrition and cancer during the last years, especially in breast cancer. The analysis of probiotics and fermented products containing lactic acid bacteria in cancer prevention and/or treatment was especially discussed. It was observed that a balance of fatty acids similar to those of traditional Mediterranean diet, the consumption of fruits and vegetables, dietary fiber intake, vitamin supplementation are, along with the intake of probiotic products, the most extensively studied by the negative association to breast cancer risk. The consumption of probiotics and fermented products containing lactic acid bacteria was associated to reduce breast cancer risk in some epidemiological studies. The use of animal models showed the modulation of the host’s immune response as one of the important effects associated to the benefices observed with most probiotics. However; future assays in human are very important before the medical community can accept the addition of probiotic or fermented milks containing lactic acid bacteria as supplements for cancer patients.

• Breast cancer
• Nutrition
• Probiotic
• Fermented products

• L. reuteri
• bacteria, inflammation
• mammary cancer
• probiotics

• Lactobacillus plantarum LG42
• antiobesity
• gajami sik-hae
• high-fat diet

It is common practice to freeze dry probiotic bacteria to improve their shelf life. However, the freeze drying process itself can be detrimental to their viability. The viability of probiotics could be maintained if they are administered within a microbially produced biodegradable polymer - poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) - matrix. Although the antifreeze activity of γ-PGA is well known, it has not been used for maintaining the viability of probiotic bacteria during freeze drying. The aim of this study was to test the effect of γ-PGA (produced by B. subtilis natto ATCC 15245) on the viability of probiotic bacteria during freeze drying and to test the toxigenic potential of B. subtilis natto. 10% γ-PGA was found to protect Lactobacillus paracasei significantly better than 10% sucrose, whereas it showed comparable cryoprotectant activity to sucrose when it was used to protect Bifidobacterium breve and Bifidobacterium longum. Although γ-PGA is known to be non-toxic, it is crucial to ascertain the toxigenic potential of its source, B. subtilis natto. Presence of six genes that are known to encode for toxins were investigated: three component hemolysin (hbl D/A), three component non-haemolytic enterotoxin (nheB), B. cereus enterotoxin T (bceT), enterotoxin FM (entFM), sphingomyelinase (sph) and phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase (piplc). From our investigations, none of these six genes were present in B. subtilis natto. Moreover, haemolytic and lecithinase activities were found to be absent. Our work contributes a biodegradable polymer from a non-toxic source for the cryoprotection of probiotic bacteria, thus improving their survival during the manufacturing process.

• Gastrointestinal Tract/drug effects
• Gastrointestinal Tract/immunology
• Gastrointestinal Tract/microbiology
• Humans
• Inflammation/prevention & control
• Probiotics/pharmacology
• Probiotics/therapeutic use
• Symbiosis

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.

• Adipocytes/metabolism
• Adipocytes/pathology
• Animals
• Cell Size
• Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects
• Dietary Fats
• Dietary Supplements
• Euphorbia/microbiology
• Fatty Liver/blood
• Fatty Liver/complications
• Fatty Liver/prevention & control
• Gene Expression Profiling
• Gene Expression Regulation
• Lipids/blood
• Liver/metabolism
• Liver/pathology
• Mice
• Mice, Obese
• Obesity/blood
• Obesity/complications
• Obesity/prevention & control
• Pediococcus/metabolism
• Phytotherapy
• RNA, Messenger/genetics
• RNA, Messenger/metabolism
• Weight Gain

• 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine
• Animals
• Anticarcinogenic Agents
• Cell Cycle Proteins/genetics
• Cell Proliferation/drug effects
• Colon/immunology
• Colonic Neoplasms/chemically induced
• Colonic Neoplasms/pathology
• Colonic Neoplasms/prevention & control
• Immunoglobulin A/analysis
• Intestinal Mucosa/pathology
• Macrophages, Peritoneal/drug effects
• Macrophages, Peritoneal/immunology
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred ICR
• Phagocytosis/drug effects
• Probiotics/administration & dosage
• Up-Regulation/drug effects

• Animals
• Body Weight/drug effects
• Catalase/biosynthesis
• Catalase/metabolism
• Colon/pathology
• Crohn Disease/chemically induced
• Crohn Disease/microbiology
• Crohn Disease/prevention & control
• Cytokines/metabolism
• Disease Models, Animal
• Female
• Genetic Engineering
• Histocytochemistry
• Inflammation
• Intestine, Large
• Lacticaseibacillus casei/enzymology
• Lacticaseibacillus casei/metabolism
• Liver/microbiology
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Probiotics/pharmacology
• Superoxide Dismutase/biosynthesis
• Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism
• Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid