Preclinical Safety Evaluation of Leuconostoc lactis DMLL10 Isolated from Kimchi in Rats

Leuconostoc lactis DMLL10 is a novel strain isolated from kimchi. The strain did not exhibit toxicity in genetic tests. This study aims to conduct a preclinical safety assessment by performing repeated-dose toxicity studies in animals. In the acute toxicity test, rats were administered 0 or a daily dose of 6,250 mg/kg/day of Leu. lactis DMLL10. In the 90-day repeated-dose study, daily doses of 0, 1,250, 2,500, and 5,000 mg/kg/day were given to rats. Body weight (BW), relative organ weights (ROW), hematological, biochemical, and pathological parameters were analyzed, and daily clinical signs were observed. The acute toxicity trial showed that the maximum tolerated dose of Leu. lactis DMLL10 was greater than 6,250 mg/kg/day. In the acute and subchronic trials, no significant changes were observed in BW, ROW, hematological parameters, or biochemical biomarkers when Leu. lactis DMLL10 was administered orally at a dose of 5,000 mg/kg/day. These results indicate that oral administration of Leu. lactis DMLL10 at doses up to 5,000 mg/kg/day is considered safe in rats, providing a basis for the clinical use of Leu. lactis DMLL10.