Investigating human-derived lactic acid bacteria for alcohol resistance

• Published in: Microbial cell factories 2024-04, Vol.23 (1), p.118-118, Article 118
• Main Authors: Kang, Sini, Long, Jing, Park, Myeong Soo, Ji, Geun Eog, Ju, Ying, Ku, Seockmo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adhesion ability; Alcohol Dehydrogenase - genetics; Alcohol Dehydrogenase - metabolism; Alcoholic beverages; Aldehyde Oxidoreductases - genetics; Aldehyde Oxidoreductases - metabolism; Amino acids; Analysis; Care and treatment; Drug resistance in microorganisms; Ethanol - metabolism; Ethanol tolerance; Health aspects; Humans; Lactic acid; Lactic acid bacteria; Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus - genetics; Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus - metabolism; Lactobacillales - genetics; Lactobacillales - metabolism; Lactobacillus - genetics; Lactobacillus - metabolism; Pediococcus acidilactici - metabolism; Probiotics; Whole genome sequencing
• ISSN: 1475-2859; 1475-2859
• DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02375-4

Excessive alcohol consumption has been consistently linked to serious adverse health effects, particularly affecting the liver. One natural defense against the detrimental impacts of alcohol is provided by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), which detoxify harmful alcohol metabolites. Recent studies have shown that certain probiotic strains, notably Lactobacillus spp., possess alcohol resistance and can produce these critical enzymes. Incorporating these probiotics into alcoholic beverages represents a pioneering approach that can potentially mitigate the negative health effects of alcohol while meeting evolving consumer preferences for functional and health-centric products. Five lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates were identified: Lactobacillus paracasei Alc1, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus AA, Pediococcus acidilactici Alc3, Lactobacillus paracasei Alc4, and Pediococcus acidilactici Alc5. Assessment of their alcohol tolerance, safety, adhesion ability, and immunomodulatory effects identified L. rhamnosus AA as the most promising alcohol-tolerant probiotic strain. This strain also showed high production of ADH and ALDH. Whole genome sequencing analysis revealed that the L. rhamnosus AA genome contained both the adh (encoding for ADH) and the adhE (encoding for ALDH) genes. L. rhamnosus AA, a novel probiotic candidate, showed notable alcohol resistance and the capability to produce enzymes essential for alcohol metabolism. This strain is a highly promising candidate for integration into commercial alcoholic beverages upon completion of comprehensive safety and functionality evaluations.