The potential anti-inflammatory activity of the probiotics Lactobacillus spp. and Rhodopseudomonas palustris is the subject of a recently published scientific study in Bioactive Compounds in Health and Disease (Tjie Kok, 2023) that confirms the vital role of these microorganisms in human health. (1)
1) Probiotics, introduction
The concept of ‘probiotic’ (from Greek ‘pró bíos’, προς βίος’, conducive to life) was introduced in 1908 by Nobel laureate Ilya Metchnikoff, who developed the theory of a correlation between the longevity of nomadic tribes in Bulgaria and Russia and their regular consumption of fermented milk. The most current definition of
‘probiotics’ – ‘live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host’
– was developed by the panel of experts convened in 2013 by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP). (2)
Bacteria are classified as probiotics when they possess specific characteristics and properties. In particular, when they:
– Are present, as a rule, in the gut microbiome,
– resist the digestive action of intestinal enzymes, bile salts and gastric juice,
– Do not cause adverse immune reactions,
– adhere to intestinal cells and colonize them,
– exert beneficial effects on human health through antagonistic action toward pathogenic microorganisms and production of antimicrobial substances.
Research in the area of probiotics has attracted increasing interest in biology and medicine, with focus on both lactic acid fermentation bacterial strains (e.g., Lactobacillus spp.) and microorganisms found in the intestinal flora (e.g., Bifidobacterium).
1.1) Probiotics, the health benefits
Probiotics have been shown to be effective in the prevention and treatment of various diseases due to their role in inhibiting the proliferation of pathogens in the gut. The numerous health benefits associated with their consumption have so far been associated, in particular, with the mechanisms of:
– Competition for nutrients and adhesion sites to the gut wall,
– Reduction of fecal pH and acidification of the intestinal environment,
– production of nutrients for intestinal cells,
– Reduction in blood cholesterol levels,
– Possible prevention of food allergies.
Studies on the microbiome, microbiota and holobiont(the host plus all its microbial symbionts, including transient and stable members) are indeed offering a new perspective on human and animal health (3,4). And these microorganisms, as well as some bioactive compounds, express a potential of great interest. (5)
2) Inflammation, an immune response.
Inflammation is a set of events with a reactive character that takes place in tissues when they make contact with injurious agents of various kinds:
– physical (e.g. trauma, radiation, high or low temperatures, etc.),
– chemicals (e.g., various chemicals, poisons and toxins), and
– Biological (infectious agents).
This pathophysiological process thus constitutes a fundamental immune response to damaging stimuli, with the task of neutralizing the injurious agent or delimiting the injury it produces.
However, excessive or prolonged inflammation can trigger or contribute to the development of numerous diseases. In fact, macrophages, the key cell population in the immune system, are activated by pro-inflammatory cytokines to phagocytize bacteria and other foreign particles. And they therefore exert a key role in the inflammatory process.
3) Probiotics, modulation of the immune system and inflammation.
The properties of probiotics to modulate the immune system, according to the hypothesis formulated by Professor Tjie Kok, may also have potential in modulating inflammation. In fact, probiotics–resistant to the action of gastric juice and biliary secretion–adhere to epithelial cells in the intestine and counteract the action of some pathogenic germs. With a favorable impact on the health of the gut microbiota and a possible positive influence on the immune system.
Therefore, the present study (Kok, 2023) aims to investigate in detail the anti-inflammatory effects of the probiotics Lactobacillus spp. and Rhodopseudomonas palustris on RAW 264.7 macrophage cells.
3.1) Methods
The probiotic extract was divided into extract and cells by centrifugation. Next, RAW 264.7 macrophage cells were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to stimulate an inflammatory response. And probiotic extract was added to the cells, to evaluate its effects on cell viability and cytokine expression. Cell viability was determined by the MTS assay. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-8, TGF-β1) and anti-inflammatory antibody (IL-10) were measured by ELISA and qRT-PCR assays.
3.2) Results
Probiotic extract input , up to 1% v/v, has been shown to maintain cell viability above 80%, suggesting cell safety. Induction of inflammation by LPS led to increased proinflammatory cytokines and decreased IL-10. Treatment with the probiotic extract at 0.03% v/v significantly reduced the levels of IFN-γ, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-8, and TGF-β1 while simultaneously increasing the mRNA expression of IL-10.
3.3) Discussion
The synergistic interaction between Lactobacillus spp. and Rhodopseudomonas palustris within the probiotic mixture may have contributed to the production of bioactive compounds, including metabolites with anti-inflammatory properties. LPS induction triggered the increase in proinflammatory cytokines, consistent with previous studies. And treatment with the probiotic extract actually mitigated this response, reducing the levels of these cytokines and enhancing the expression of IL-10 (a cytokine with known anti-inflammatory properties).
The reduction in IFN-γ and TNF-α suggests that the extract may suppress the pro-inflammatory response, offering new possibilities for addressing inflammation-related disorders. Indeed, the decrease in IL-8 and TGF-β1 demonstrates the extract’s ability to modulate inflammatory signaling pathways. And the increased expression of IL-10 reflects the extract’s ability to create an anti-inflammatory microenvironment.
4) Potential anti-inflammatory activity of Lactobacillus spp. and Rhodopseudomonas palustris . Interim conclusions.
The anti-inflammatory potential of probiotics, already suggested in previous studies (6,7), is further confirmed in the research under review (Kok, 2023). The probiotic extract of Lactobacillus spp. and Rhodopseudomonas palustris has been shown to effectively modulate cytokine expression, promoting an anti-inflammatory profile. These findings open new avenues for the use of such probiotics as part of strategies to manage chronic inflammatory diseases. As well as suggesting the opportunity for development of functional foods and food supplements with anti-inflammatory action.
Gabriele Sapienza and Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) Tjie Kok. Anti-inflammatory activity of Lactobacillus Spp. and Rhodopseudomonas Palustris probiotics. Bioactive Compounds in Health and Disease (BCHD), vol. 6, no. 4, Apr. 20, 2023, p. 63. DOI: 10.31989/bchd.v6i4.1067
(2) Colin Hill, Francisco Guarner, Gregor Reid Glenn R. Gibson, Daniel J. Merenstein, Bruno Pot, Lorenzo Morelli, Roberto Berni Canani, Harry J. Flint, Seppo Salminen, Philip C. Calder & Mary Ellen Sanders. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 11, 506-514 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2014.66
(3) Paola Palestini, Dario Dongo. Microbiome and gut, the second brain. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 14.2.19
(4) Dario Dongo, Andrea Adelmo Della Penna. Animal husbandry, algae and microalgae to prevent antibiotic use. Algatan. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 9.9.20
(5) Dario Dongo, Carlotta Suardi. More probiotics less antibiotics. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 2.10.18
(6) Vittorio Bottazzi. Milk-fermented, functional and probiotic(Elite Communication, 2004) https://tinyurl.com/4wakrcvm
(7) Giulia Pietrollini. Probiotics, a solution for chronic inflammation. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 6.12.22
Graduated in Agronomy, with experience in sustainable agriculture and permaculture, laboratory and ecological monitoring.
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
