In vitro probiotic characteristics and whole-genome sequence analysis of lactic acid bacteria isolated from monkey...

This study aimed to isolate lactic acid bacteria from monkey faeces and evaluate their safety and probiotic properties through a combination of in vitro assays and complete genomic sequencing. The results revealed that two Limosilactobacillus reuteri strains (LDHa and LSHe) exhibited promising probiotic attributes: no hemolytic activity, remarkable antibacterial activity against intestinal pathogens, high bile salt tolerance (77.46% survival rate for LDHa at 0.3% bile salt concentration), excellent gastrointestinal resistance (survival rate > 40%), and favorable surface characteristics (63.92-66.00% auto-aggregation; 91.33-93.80% hydrophobicity). The whole genome sequencing results revealed that strain LDHa has a total length of 2,031,794 bp with a GC content of 39.02% and contains (Strompfová et al. 2014) coding genes. The LSHe strain has a total length of 2,031,507 bp with a GC content of 39.02% and contains 1954 coding genes. Genomic analysis revealed that both strains possess four CRISPR sequences and one secondary metabolic gene cluster, with functional annotations from the EGGNOG, KEGG, and CAZy databases demonstrating genome stability; the absence of horizontally transferable antibiotic resistance genes; the enrichment of metabolic pathway-related genes, and probiotic-associated functional potential including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antitumor activities. This study demonstrated that L. reuteri LDHa and LSHe exhibit favorable safety profiles and probiotic potential at both physiological and genomic levels, positioning them as promising candidates for probiotic formulations in captive primate populations.