Native Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium probiotics modulate autophagy genes and exert anti-inflammatory effect

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms that modulate various signaling pathways to improve human health status. In this study we aimed to evaluate the precise molecular effects of Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., and a mixture of our native potential probiotics on the autophagy signaling pathway during the presence of inflammation. The evaluation of autophagy gene expression was performed after exposing the HT -29 cell line with the sonicated pathogens and probiotics, before and simultaneously with inflammation induction by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and cytokine assays. The results of the current study showed that our native potential probiotic cocktails could upregulate the expression level of the autophagy genes including pik3c3, atg14, beclin, pik3r4, atg5, atg16, atg7, and atg3 compared with sonicated pathogen treatments, and also these native potential probiotic strains could exert anti-inflammatory effects, especially before inflammation induction. In conclusion, our native potential probiotic cocktail indicated the preventive and therapeutic effect on inflammation, but our selected probiotics could affect autophagy genes stronger before inflammation compared to expose simultaneously with inflammation. Therefore, the administration of probiotics as a prophylactic agent with the least side effects could be considered a suitable treatment for patients with inflammatory-related disease, even before or at the beginning of inflammation.