Pediococcus pentosaceus: Screening and Application as Probiotics in Food Processing

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are vital probiotics in the food processing industry, which are widely spread in food additives and products, such as meat, milk, and vegetables. Pediococcus pentosaceus (P. pentosaceus), as a kind of LAB, has numerous probiotic effects, mainly including antioxidant, cholesterol-lowering, and immune effects. Recently, the applications in the probiotic- fermentation products have attracted progressively more attentions. However, it is necessary to screen P. pentosaceus with abundant functions from diverse sources due to the limitation about the source and species of P. pentosaceus. This review summarized the screening methods of P. pentosaceus and the exploration methods of probiotic functions in combination with the case study. The screening methods included primary screening and rescreening including gastric acidity resistance, bile resistance, adhesion, antibacterial effects, etc. The application and development prospects of P. pentosaceus were described in detail, and the shortcomings in the practical application of P. pentosaceus were evaluated to make better application of P. pentosaceus in the future.

In silico investigation of antioxidant interaction and effect of probiotic fermentation on antioxidant profiling of pearl millet-based rabadi beverage

Pearl millet-based food products can be used for weight control and minimize the possibility of chronic diseases. They have protein, minerals, fat, phenolic compounds, and a diminutive glycemic index. Moreover, Probiotic fermentation can bring specific additional benefits in addition to nutritional improvements. In silico analysis of the chemical-protein interaction of tannic acid and ascorbic acid of pearl millet was undertaken. Further, the role of fortification of rabadi beverage by probiotic culture was also assessed in this study at different temperatures (35, 42, and 45°C) of fermentation. In silico study has predicted the association of both tannic acid and ascorbic acid with the various human proteins responsible for the growth and development of the human immune system. In all used probiotic (Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus sp. and Streptococcus faecalis), L. rhamnosus fortified rabadi beverage at continuous increasing temperature (35, 42, 45 °C) of non-autoclaved batch showed high content of TAC (36.83 ± 5.41 µg mL-1), TPC (46.1 ± 8.28 µg mL-1) and TFC (29.91 ± 7.73 µg mL-1); while decrease in tannins content (14.84 ± 4.64 µg mL-1) as compared to control [TAC (29.32 ± 3.17 µg mL-1), TPC (25.53 ± 5.75 µg mL-1), TFC (21.91 ± 5.95 µg mL-1), and Tannins (20.74 ± 3.43 µg mL-1)]. L. rhamnosus fortified rabadi beverage of non-autoclaved batch showed better results than Lactobacillus sp. and S. faecalis fortified rabadi beverage of both batches (autoclaved and non-autoclaved); which in turn expressed the enhanced therapeutic activity of probiotic fortified rabadi beverage.

The Enhancement of Intestinal Immunity in Offspring Piglets by Maternal Probiotic or Synbiotic Supplementation Is Associated With the Alteration of Gut Microbiota

A total of 64 pregnant Bama mini-pigs were used to investigate the effects of maternal probiotic or synbiotic supplementation during gestation and lactation on immune response, intestinal morphology, and microbiota community of offspring piglets. The sows were assigned randomly to one of four groups, control group (basal diet), antibiotic group (basal diet supplemented with 50 g/t virginiamycin), probiotic group (basal diet supplemented with 200 mL/d probiotic fermentation broth per pig), or synbiotic group (basal diet supplemented with 200 mL/d probiotic fermentation broth per pig + 500 g/t xylo-oligosaccharides) during pregnancy and lactation periods. After weaning, two piglets close to the average body weight (BW) per litter were selected and fed a basal diet. Eight piglets with similar BW were selected from each group for sample collection at 65 d-old. The results showed that plasma interleukin (IL)-2 and lipopolysaccharide concentrations were decreased (P < 0.05) in the probiotic group, while the immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentration in the probiotic and synbiotic groups was increased (P < 0.05), when compared with the control group. The jejunal IL-10, interferon-α, and secretory IgA (sIgA) concentrations were increased (P < 0.05) in the probiotic and synbiotic groups, as well as the ileal sIgA concentration in the probiotic group. The jejunal villus height (VH) and the ratio of VH to crypt depth were increased (P < 0.05) in the probiotic group, as well as the ileal VH in the synbiotic group. Furthermore, the piglets from the antibiotic group exhibited a lower microbiota diversity in the jejunum and ileum. The piglets from the synbiotic group had higher relative abundances of Actinobacteria, Bifidobacterium, Turicibacter, and Clostridium in the jejunum compared with the antibiotic group. Dietary probiotic treatment increased (P < 0.05) the relative abundance of Psychrobacter in the ileum compared with the antibiotic and control groups. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that the relative abundances of Bifidobacterium, Clostridium, and Blautia in the jejunum and Psychrobacter in the ileum, were positively correlated with the alterations of immunoglobulin and cytokines. Collectively, these findings suggest that maternal interventions with probiotic or synbiotic are promising strategies for improving the immune response of offspring piglets by altering the gut microbiota.