Abstract
To isolate lactic acid bacteria with significant triglyceride‐degrading ability from traditional fermented foods in Guizhou and develop probiotic tablets, providing a basis for the development of functional probiotics. Strains with triglyceride‐degrading ability were screened from 26 isolated strains. Morphological analysis, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and stress resistance tests were conducted. The lyoprotectant composition for tablet preparation was optimized, and the stability and survival rate of the probiotic tablets were evaluated. Six LAB strains were selected, all exhibiting a triglyceride degradation rate exceeding 60%. Among them, PYC02 (Limosilactobacillus fermentum), SZ02 ( Weissella cibaria ), and PLHB02 ( Weissella cibaria ) showed degradation rates greater than 80%. PYC02 and PLHB02 maintained survival rates above 80% under conditions of pH 3 and 0.3% bile salts. The optimal lyoprotectant composition for maximum probiotic survival was 8% defatted milk powder, 5% sodium alginate, 2% maltodextrin, and 8% trehalose. After 30 days of storage at 4°C and 25°C, the survival rates of the probiotic tablets exceeded 80% and 60%, respectively, with triglyceride degradation rates greater than 60%. The triglyceride‐degrading effects of PYC02 and PLHB02 were significant. These strains exhibited strong stress resistance and high safety, showing potential for the development of functional probiotics, offering new approaches for the prevention and treatment of hypertriglyceridemia.
This study isolated and identified six lactic acid bacteria strains from various fermented foods. Through 16S rRNA sequencing, they were classified as Limosilactobacillus fermentum (PYC02, MHT02, SS01, SC03) and Weissella cibaria (PLHB02, SZ02). Their stress tolerance and safety were evaluated. Results showed that most strains exhibited survival rates exceeding 60% in simulated gastrointestinal acid and bile salt environments, demonstrating excellent tolerance. All six lactic acid bacteria exhibited γ‐hemolysis and sensitivity to four antibiotics. Simultaneously, freeze‐drying protectants for tablets were optimized through single‐factor experiments. Probiotic tablets were formulated using the highly tolerant and safe strains PYC02, PLHB02, SS01, and SZ02, with weight variation, friability, and disintegration time all meeting formulation standards. When investigating the effect of different temperatures on probiotic tablet viability, all four strains maintained high activity after 30 days of storage, with strains PYC02 and PLHB02 exhibiting superior survival rates under both temperature conditions. In summary, strains PYC02 and PLHB02 demonstrated significant triglyceride degradation activity coupled with strong stress resistance and high safety, offering a novel approach for developing functional probiotics. They hold promise for application in the prevention and treatment of hypertriglyceridemia.
Introduction
With the global prevalence of obesity and metabolic diseases, hyperlipidemia has become a significant threat to human health (Onwe et al. 2015; Stewart et al. 2020). Among these, triglycerides are a key biomarker of lipid metabolism (Avagimyan et al. 2025; D’Elia et al. 2025), and elevated levels are closely linked to diseases such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and type 2 diabetes (García‐Poblet et al. 2025; Yamamoto et al. 2024; Zambon et al. 2025). Although drug therapy can help control triglyceride levels to some extent, achieving the goal of treating hyperlipidemia, it struggles to fundamentally regulate lipid metabolism. Moreover, long‐term use may be associated with side effects, including elevated liver enzymes, nephrotoxicity, and myotoxicity (Gong et al. 2020). As a result, the development of safe and effective non‐pharmacological interventions has become a major focus of current research.
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), as key representatives of probiotics, have been shown to reduce blood lipid levels through multiple mechanisms, including inhibiting fat absorption (Ding et al. 2025), enhancing lipid metabolic activity (Hou et al. 2025), and regulating gut microbiota balance (Mosiej et al. 2025). Furthermore, LAB can further regulate systemic lipid metabolism by lowering blood lipid levels through pathways such as improving intestinal barrier function (Li et al. 2025; Yang et al. 2024) and suppressing inflammatory responses (Liu et al. 2024).
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in research on probiotics that can degrade triglycerides. Some researchers have isolated strains from fermented foods to reduce triglyceride levels (Azat et al. 2016; Gao and Li 2018; Won et al. 2020; Zhao et al. 2022), while others have investigated the reduction of triglyceride levels and their mechanisms through animal studies (Aminlari et al. 2019; Bo et al. 2020; Kim et al. 2020). In summary, reducing triglyceride levels has become a research hotspot, with its crucial role in metabolic diseases now widely acknowledged. However, reports on the development of triglyceride‐lowering probiotic agents remain limited. This study aims to screen LAB strains with potent triglyceride‐lowering capabilities and develop corresponding probiotic formulations. The research provides scientific rationale and experimental foundations for the development of novel functional probiotic products, which hold significant potential for the prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia.
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Ran X, Hu Q, Wei S, Long H, Luo X, Dong B, Yao Q, Zhu D. Screening and Identification of Triglyceride-Lowering Lactic Acid Bacteria and Preparation of Probiotic Agents. Food Sci Nutr. 2026 Mar 10;14(3):e71609. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.71609. PMID: 41815860; PMCID: PMC12973335.
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