Lactobacilli Mitigate Gut Inflammation by Modulating T-Helper/T-Regulatory Cells and Suppressing Signaling Pathways...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Intestinal inflammation compromises gut barrier function and contributes to diseases like inflammatory bowel disease.
• Lactobacillus species, found in fermented foods, are recognized for their immune-modulating properties and potential in functional foods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review evidence on how dietary or probiotic Lactobacillus strains alleviate gut inflammation.
• To examine strain-specific effects, immune signaling pathways, and factors influencing efficacy for food industry applications.

Main Methods:

• Integration of multidisciplinary evidence: in vitro studies, animal models, human observations, and multi-omics data.
• Analysis of Lactobacillus effects on T-helper/T-regulatory cell balance and key inflammatory signaling pathways (TLR4-MyD88, NF-κB, MAPK, NLRP3).
• Evaluation of food matrices, microencapsulation, dosage, and processing on bacterial viability and efficacy.

Main Results:

• Lactobacillus consistently downregulates pro-inflammatory Th1/Th17 responses and upregulates T regulatory cells (Foxp3+).
• Reduced levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and increased IL-10, TGF-β observed.
• Short-chain fatty acids and indole metabolites enhance epithelial barrier function and reduce NF-κB activity.
• Dairy and cereal matrices support survival; microencapsulation beneficial for acidic beverages; ~10^10 CFU/day effective and safe.

Conclusions:

• Lactobacillus strains demonstrate significant anti-inflammatory effects in the gut across various models.
• Food matrix, processing, and dosage are critical for optimizing Lactobacillus efficacy.
• Lactobacillus represents a viable, science-backed ingredient for developing anti-inflammatory functional foods.