AUTHOR=Sohn Minji , Na Ga Yoon , Chu Jaeryang , Joung Hyunchae , Kim Byung-Kook , Lim Soo 

TITLE=Efficacy and Safety of Lactobacillus plantarum K50 on Lipids in Koreans With Obesity: A Randomized, Double-Blind Controlled Clinical Trial

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.790046

DOI=10.3389/fendo.2021.790046

ISSN=1664-2392

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Only few studies have investigated the role of probiotics in the development of obesity. We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of an intake of <italic>Lactobacillus plantarum</italic> K50 (<italic>LPK</italic>) on body fat and lipid profiles in people with obesity.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial involved 81 adults with a body mass index of 25–30 kg/m<sup>2</sup> who were assigned randomly to a diet including 4 × 10<sup>9</sup> colony-forming unit of <italic>LPK</italic> or a placebo. Changes in body fat, anthropometric parameters, and biomarkers of obesity were compared using a linear mixed-effect model.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>After 12 weeks of treatment, body weight, fat mass, and abdominal fat area did not change significantly in the two groups. However, total cholesterol levels decreased from 209.4 ± 34.4 mg/dL to 203.5 ± 30.9 mg/dL in the <italic>LPK</italic> group, but increased from 194.7 ± 37.5 mg/dL to 199.9 ± 30.7 mg/dL in the placebo group (P = 0.037). Similarly, triglyceride levels decreased from 135.4 ± 115.8 mg/dL to 114.5 ± 65.9 mg/dL in the <italic>LPK</italic> group, with a significant difference between groups. <italic>LPK</italic> supplementation also tended to decrease leptin levels compared with placebo. It also changed the distribution of gut microbiota significantly, with an increase in <italic>L. plantarum</italic> and a decrease in <italic>Actinobacteria</italic>, both of whose changes in abundance were correlated with changes in visceral adiposity, with borderline significance.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>A 12-week consumption of <italic>LPK</italic> reduced the total cholesterol and triglyceride levels significantly with favorable alterations in microbiota, suggesting potential benefits for controlling blood lipid profiles.</p></sec>