Lactic acid bacteria are a type of important probiotic that may be found in a wide range of nutrient-rich habitats, including food, feed, soil, and organisms like animals as well as plants. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, many species of lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites are “generally regarded as safe (GRAS)”. The most commonly used strains as probiotics spread in genera Lactobacilli, Bifidobacterium, Lactococcus, Enterococcus, and Streptococcus. They have been shown to enhance intestinal transit, balance gut microbiota, and preserve the colon's acid-base equilibrium, which regulates the immune system and lowers serum cholesterol levels.
Lactic acid bacteria can produce lactic acid and other organic acids, carbon dioxide, aromatic compounds, exopolysaccharides (EPS), bacteriocins, enzymes, etc., which could constitute novel prebiotics and have an influence on the structure and function of the gut microbiota. For example, EPS is a substrate for specific beneficial gut microbiota in the large intestine. By strengthening microbe cooperation, stabilizing cell recognition, and acting as a barrier against dangerous substances (such as antibiotics and toxic compounds), EPS regulates microbial life by promoting bacterial colonization of both ex-vivo and in-vivo microenvironments and increasing bacterial survival. Furthermore, some research showed that lactic acid bacteria differently altered gut microbiota and metabolic/immunological parameters in high-fat diet-induced obese mice and reduced polycystic ovary syndrome in a rat model via regulating sex hormone-related gut microbiota.
Different lactic acid bacteria exert various mechanisms for alleviating gut microbiota dysbiosis. Combining lactic acid bacteria with varied mitigating characteristics with drugs with probiotic properties is a promising strategy that may have superior advantages in preventing and treating metabolic diseases. Recent advancements in microbial metabolomics and proteomics have made it possible to conduct scientific investigations on the function of lactic acid bacteria in the control of gut microbiota. The study of the regulation mechanism of lactic acid bacteria in gut microbiota, as well as the isolation and screening of novel lactic acid bacteria and metabolites with specific biological activity, are both research fields that are becoming increasingly important. Additionally, research should be conducted on the structure and function of micro-ecosystems as well as the theoretical basis for using lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites in both food and medicine.
This Research Topic aims to collect Original Research articles and Reviews on the characterization of the functional properties of lactic acid bacteria, as well as the analysis of their production of EPS, short-chain fatty acids, and other active compounds, as well as recent research on their role and mechanisms to influence the gut microbiome. The following sub-topics are recommended but not limited to:
1. The effects of lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites on gut microbiota structure
2. Isolation and structure elucidation of bioactive natural products interacting with gut microbiota and the host from lactic acid bacteria
3. Genome mining for the discovery of novel natural products including bioinformatics predictions, and comprehensive analysis of the transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, etc.
4. The probiotic functional characteristics and application of lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites in gut microbiota perspectives
5. The role of lactic acid bacteria in gut microbiota balance
Lactic acid bacteria are a type of important probiotic that may be found in a wide range of nutrient-rich habitats, including food, feed, soil, and organisms like animals as well as plants. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, many species of lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites are “generally regarded as safe (GRAS)”. The most commonly used strains as probiotics spread in genera Lactobacilli, Bifidobacterium, Lactococcus, Enterococcus, and Streptococcus. They have been shown to enhance intestinal transit, balance gut microbiota, and preserve the colon's acid-base equilibrium, which regulates the immune system and lowers serum cholesterol levels.
Lactic acid bacteria can produce lactic acid and other organic acids, carbon dioxide, aromatic compounds, exopolysaccharides (EPS), bacteriocins, enzymes, etc., which could constitute novel prebiotics and have an influence on the structure and function of the gut microbiota. For example, EPS is a substrate for specific beneficial gut microbiota in the large intestine. By strengthening microbe cooperation, stabilizing cell recognition, and acting as a barrier against dangerous substances (such as antibiotics and toxic compounds), EPS regulates microbial life by promoting bacterial colonization of both ex-vivo and in-vivo microenvironments and increasing bacterial survival. Furthermore, some research showed that lactic acid bacteria differently altered gut microbiota and metabolic/immunological parameters in high-fat diet-induced obese mice and reduced polycystic ovary syndrome in a rat model via regulating sex hormone-related gut microbiota.
Different lactic acid bacteria exert various mechanisms for alleviating gut microbiota dysbiosis. Combining lactic acid bacteria with varied mitigating characteristics with drugs with probiotic properties is a promising strategy that may have superior advantages in preventing and treating metabolic diseases. Recent advancements in microbial metabolomics and proteomics have made it possible to conduct scientific investigations on the function of lactic acid bacteria in the control of gut microbiota. The study of the regulation mechanism of lactic acid bacteria in gut microbiota, as well as the isolation and screening of novel lactic acid bacteria and metabolites with specific biological activity, are both research fields that are becoming increasingly important. Additionally, research should be conducted on the structure and function of micro-ecosystems as well as the theoretical basis for using lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites in both food and medicine.
This Research Topic aims to collect Original Research articles and Reviews on the characterization of the functional properties of lactic acid bacteria, as well as the analysis of their production of EPS, short-chain fatty acids, and other active compounds, as well as recent research on their role and mechanisms to influence the gut microbiome. The following sub-topics are recommended but not limited to:
1. The effects of lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites on gut microbiota structure
2. Isolation and structure elucidation of bioactive natural products interacting with gut microbiota and the host from lactic acid bacteria
3. Genome mining for the discovery of novel natural products including bioinformatics predictions, and comprehensive analysis of the transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, etc.
4. The probiotic functional characteristics and application of lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites in gut microbiota perspectives
5. The role of lactic acid bacteria in gut microbiota balance