Search

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are probiotic microorganisms widely used for their health benefits in the food industry. However, recent concerns regarding their safety have highlighted the need for comprehensive safety assessments. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the safety of L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601, isolated from homemade plain yogurt, via genomic, phenotypic, and toxicity-based analyses. L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601 possessed a single circular chromosome of 1,865,001 bp, with a GC content of 49.72%, and 1910 predicted coding sequences. No virulence or antibiotic resistance genes were detected. Although L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601 exhibited antibiotic resistance to gentamicin and kanamycin, this resistance is an intrinsic feature of this species. L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601 did not produce biogenic amines and did not exhibit hemolytic activity. Phenotypic analysis of enzyme activity and carbohydrate fermentation profiles revealed the metabolic features of L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601. Moreover, no deaths or abnormalities were observed in single-dose oral toxicity tests, suggesting that L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601 has no adverse effect on human health. Finally, L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601 inhibited the growth of potential carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Therefore, our results suggest that L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601 is a safe probiotic strain for human consumption.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was designed to assess the efficacy of the parabiotic Bifidobacterium breve IDCC 4401, named BBR 4401, for lowering cholesterol levels. The 66 subjects (per protocol set, n = 60) with low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels between 100 mg/dL and 150 mg/dL were enrolled after a 4-week run-in period (e.g., no probiotics, low cholesterol diet and no food affecting lipid profiles). The two groups were prescribed 1 × 1010 (low-dose) and 1 × 1011 CFU (high-dose), whereas the placebo group was prescribed 97% (w/w) of maltodextrin for 4 weeks. The compliance rates exceeded 97% in the subjects who completed the study. Comparison of the mean changes from baseline between the placebo group and test groups after the 12 weeks of BBR 4401 consumption showed a statistically significant reduction in LDL-C (up to −10.8%, p-value = 0.008) and apolipoproteinB (up to −8.1%, p-value = 0.008). Meanwhile, there were no clinically significant changes in vital signs, clinical pathology tests or electrocardiograms and no significant adverse events were reported during the study period. Concerning bowel habits, the consumption of BBR 4401 alleviated defecation strain, distension and watery feces in the high-dose group. Thus, BBR 4401 may be a safe and functional food for adults with moderate hypercholesterolemia.

A combined usage of animal and plant proteins-mixture could aid to solve environmental and social problems arising from the use of animal protein alone, while also improving the taste and texture of plant protein. Protein mixtures could be a better protein source due to the high availability of amino acids in the body compared with single proteins. Consuming proteins with probiotics can provide more beneficial health effects by helping to hydrolyze protein and absorb amino acids in the body. In this study, coadministration of an animal and plant protein mixture with a high concentration of probiotics was investigated to increase protein digestibility and amino acids absorbability in a mice model. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum IDCC 3501, which has the maximum ability to hydrolyze a protein mixture, composed of soybean protein and milk protein, was selected, and the changes in mice (C57BL/6J, male, six weeks) were investigated after the coadministration of protein mixture and 5 × 108 or 5 × 109 CFU/mL of L. plantarum for eight weeks. Normal diet, high-protein diet (HPD), and HPD supplementing L. plantarum were separately administered to mice. Food and water consumption of the mice did not differ depending on diet type. Measurements of the serum concentrations of amino acids showed that the absorption of aspartate, glutamate, isoleucine, leucine, valine, and lysine increased when high concentrations of protein and probiotics were administered. Thus, high L. plantarum concentrations could be a protein diet supplementation to improve health by promoting the absorption of amino acids.

HPV vaccination is most effective if received before initiation of sexual activity. Previous studies suggested that young adult women who were not sexually active were not interested in receiving the vaccine because they did not think it was necessary. Whether this misperception is still prevalent today—and also shared by men—is unknown. This study examined whether sexual activity was associated with HPV vaccine uptake (initiation and completion) among university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and May 2021 among students (n = 951) at a public Midwestern University. Sexual activity was categorized as “never” or “ever” had oral and/or vaginal sex. Outcome variables were HPV vaccine initiation, defined as receipt of ≥1 dose, and completion, defined as receipt of ≥3 doses. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated the association between sexual activity and HPV vaccine uptake, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Approximately 18% of students reported never engaging in sexual activity. Overall, 45.5% initiated the HPV vaccine, and 16.5% completed the vaccine series. After adjusting for covariates, compared to students that reported never engaging in sexual activity, those that had ever engaged in sexual activity were more likely to have initiated the vaccine series (aOR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.34–3.17); however, no difference was observed for completion. HPV vaccination was low; sexually naïve students were less likely to initiate the HPV vaccine. Since sexually naïve students may benefit from receiving the HPV vaccination, targeted interventions should be implemented towards this population to help increase vaccination rates and prevent HPV-associated diseases.