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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Food Microbiology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1477152
This article is part of the Research Topic Probiotics for Global Health: Advances, Applications and Challenges View all 4 articles

Genomic Insights and Functional Evaluation of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei EG005: A Promising Probiotic with Enhanced Antioxidant Activity

Provisionally accepted
Jisu Kim Jisu Kim 1Jinchul Jo Jinchul Jo 1,2Seoae Cho Seoae Cho 2Heebal Kim Heebal Kim 1,2,3*
  • 1 Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
  • 2 eGnome, Inc, Seoul, Republic of Korea
  • 3 Interdisciplinary Program in Bioinformatics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: Probiotics, such as Lacticaseibacillus paracasei EG005, are gaining attention for their health benefits, particularly in reducing oxidative stress. The goal of this study was to reinforce the antioxidant capacity of EG005, along with comprehensive genomic analysis, with a focus on assessing superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, acid resistance and bile tolerance, and safety. Methods: EG005 was screened for SOD activity and change of SOD activity was tested under various pH conditions. Its survival rates were assessed in acidic (pH 2.5) and bile salt (0.3%) conditions and the antibiotic MIC test and hemolysis test were performed to evaluate safety. Genetic analyses including functional identification and phylogenetic tree construction were performed. The SOD overexpression system was constructed using Ptuf, Pldh1, Plhd2, and Pldh3 strong promoters. Results: EG005 demonstrated higher SOD activity compared to Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG, with optimal activity at pH 7.0. It showed significant acid and bile tolerance, with survival rates recovering to 100% after 3 hours in acidic conditions. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that EG005 is closely related to other L. paracasei strains with ANI values above 98%. Overexpression of SOD using the Ptuf promoter resulted in a two-fold increase in activity compared to the controls. Additionally, EG005 exhibited no hemolytic activity and showed antibiotic susceptibility within safe limits. Discussion: Our findings highlight EG005's potential as a probiotic with robust antioxidant activity and high tolerance to gastrointestinal conditions. Its unique genetic profile and enhanced SOD activity through strong promoter support its application in probiotic therapies and functional foods. Further research should be investigated to find the in vivo effects of EG005 on gut health and oxidative stress reduction. In addition, attB and attP-based recombination, combined with CRISPR-Cas9 technologies, could offer a more stable alternative for long-term sodA gene expression in commercial and medical applications.

    Keywords: Lactic acid bacteria, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Probiotics, antioxidant activity, SOD overexpression, inflammatory bowel disease

    Received: 07 Aug 2024; Accepted: 24 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Kim, Jo, Cho and Kim. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Heebal Kim, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.