Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis ProSci-246 Protects Mice from DSS-induced Inflammatory Bowel Disease by Modulating the Intestinal Metabolite Profile in Mice

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to a chronic and recurrent gastrointestinal disorder, placing a lifelong medical burden on millions of individuals globally. As commensal microorganisms residing in the human intestinal tract, probiotics are capable of safeguarding the intestinal barrier, suppressing inflammatory reactions, and sustaining the balance of intestinal microbiota, with no accompanying adverse effects. Accordingly, probiotics have gained attention as a safe therapeutic approach and a major research focus for IBD treatment. In this study, the effects of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis ProSci-246 (ProSci-246) were investigated in mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Three groups of mice (n = 8 per group) were used: normal control (NC group), DSS-induced colitis mice without bacterial administration (DSS group), and DSS-induced colitis mice gavaged with live ProSci-246 bacterial suspension (ProSci-246 group). ProSci-246 significantly alleviated DSS-induced colitis, as shown by significantly higher 30-day body weight, colon length-to-weight ratio, and serum anti-inflammatory factor levels, along with significantly lower Disease Activity Index (DAI) scores and serum pro-inflammatory factor levels in the ProSci-246 group compared with the DSS group. Furthermore, fecal metabolomic analysis showed that ProSci-246 intervention altered DSS-induced fecal metabolic profiles, affecting purine metabolism, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the vitamin B6 metabolism pathway in IBD mice. These findings provide a scientific basis and novel perspective for the potential application of ProSci-246 as an alternative probiotic for IBD prevention and treatment.