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Effects and Mechanisms of Lactobacillus rhamnosus MP108 Probiotic Intervention During Pregnancy on Offspring

Weizhi Zhong1,2, Lilin Xiao1,2, Huilan Ye1,2

  • 1Department of Basic Research, Global Research and Development Center, Ausnutria Dairy (China) Co., Ltd., Changsha, China.

International Journal of Food Science
|April 30, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Maternal probiotic (Lactobacillus rhamnosus MP108) supplementation during pregnancy improved offspring neurodevelopment by modulating gut microbiota and reducing neuroinflammation, offering a potential strategy for preventing developmental disorders.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Microbiology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Maternal gut microbiota dysbiosis during pregnancy can negatively impact offspring neurodevelopment through the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
  • High-fat diets during gestation are linked to maternal obesity and subsequent neurodevelopmental issues in offspring.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus MP108 (MP108) in ameliorating neurodevelopmental impairments in offspring caused by maternal high-fat diet.
  • To explore the impact of MP108 on maternal and offspring gut microbiota composition and metabolite profiles.

Main Methods:

  • Administration of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus MP108 to pregnant rats fed a high-fat diet.
  • Assessment of offspring cognitive and behavioral functions.
  • Analysis of gut microbiota composition using sequencing.
  • Metabolomic profiling of intestinal metabolites.
  • Evaluation of neuroinflammatory and myelin-related gene expression in the hippocampus.

Main Results:

  • MP108 administration significantly improved cognitive and behavioral abnormalities in offspring of mothers on a high-fat diet.
  • The probiotic intervention positively restructured gut microbiota in both mothers and offspring, increasing beneficial bacteria like Blautia and Alloprevotella.
  • MP108 modulated key metabolites, reducing L-homocystine and methionine while increasing L-(+)-arginine, L-(+)-citrulline, and L-tyrosine.
  • MP108 attenuated aberrant gene expression related to neuroinflammation (Cox2, NF-κB) and myelin formation (MBP) in the offspring hippocampus.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal MP108 supplementation during gestation effectively counteracts the negative effects of a high-fat diet on offspring neurodevelopment.
  • The mechanism involves modulation of gut microbiota, metabolite profiles, and reduction of hippocampal neuroinflammation and aberrant gene expression.
  • MP108 shows promise as a preventative and therapeutic agent for neurodevelopmental disorders linked to maternal diet and gut dysbiosis.

Keywords:
Lactobacillus rhamnosus MP108gut microbiotametabolomicsneurodevelopmentprenatal probiotics

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