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Published on: December 3, 2019
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Probiotic Modulation in Aging: Strain-Specific Geroprotective Effects in Caenorhabditis elegans
Barbara Sciandrone1, Diletta Francesca Squarzanti2, Patrizia Malfa2
1Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences BtBs, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|November 27, 2025
Summary
Probiotics show promise for healthy aging. Specific strains improved worm movement, reduced oxidative stress, enhanced learning, and extended lifespan by influencing key longevity genes.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Gerontology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Elderly populations face increased disease vulnerability due to frailty.
- Probiotics are emerging as geroprotective agents, potentially by supporting gut health and modulating aging processes like inflammation, cognition, and metabolism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the geroprotective potential of four specific probiotic strains: Lacticaseibacillus paracasei LPC1114, Limosilactobacillus reuteri PBS072, Bifidobacterium breve BB077, and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BL050.
- To assess the effects of these probiotics on mid-life healthspan parameters in a Caenorhabditis elegans aging model.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism to study aging.
- Evaluated healthspan parameters including lifespan, motility, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, lipofuscin accumulation, and cognitive functions (associative learning and chemotaxis).
Main Results:
- Probiotic effects were strain-specific.
- L. reuteri PBS072 and B. lactis BL050 significantly improved locomotion and reduced ROS levels.
- B. breve BB077, L. paracasei LPC1114, and L. reuteri PBS072 enhanced associative learning, while B. lactis BL050 improved chemotaxis.
- L. paracasei LPC1114 and L. reuteri PBS072 extended maximum lifespan, mediated by longevity genes skn1, sir2.1, and daf16.
Conclusions:
- Probiotics possess multifaceted, strain-specific geroprotective properties.
- These findings support the potential of probiotics as microbiome-based interventions for promoting healthy aging.
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