Lactobacillus rhamnosus JM023 Postbiotic-Loaded Sodium Alginate Hydrogel for Alleviating Alcoholic Gastric Ulcers

Long-term excessive alcohol consumption and unhealthy lifestyles disrupt gastric homeostasis, increasing the risk of gastritis and gastric ulcers. However, conventional synthetic drugs are often limited by poor bioavailability, low antioxidant capacity, and gastrointestinal toxicity. In this study, a sodium alginate-based composite hydrogel loaded with Lactobacillus rhamnosus JM023 postbiotics was successfully developed. The hydrogel exhibited favorable mechanical properties (G' > G''), slow degradation (retaining more than 95% mass after simulated gastrointestinal digestion), and excellent biocompatibility (maximum hemolysis rate of 3.10%). It significantly alleviated gastric bleeding and reduced ulcer area (ulcer proportion: 9.67 ± 3.54%). Mechanistically, the hydrogel exerted antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects by enhancing SOD, GSH, and CAT activities, downregulating TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, and modulating the Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB signaling pathways. It also restored gut microbiota homeostasis by increasing the relative abundance of beneficial genera, including Allobaculum, Lactobacillus, Adlercreutzia, and Oscillospira. Overall, this study presents a novel and effective strategy for alleviating alcohol-induced gastric ulcers using Lactobacillus rhamnosus JM023 postbiotic-loaded composite hydrogels.