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Geroprotective Effect of Levilactobacillus brevis and Weizmannia coagulans in Caenorhabditis elegans

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Abstract

The prophylactic use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to maintain human health is one of the most important research areas in recent times. LAB supplementation confers a wide range of health benefits to the host, but few studies have focused on their possible role in delaying the aging process. This study explored the health and life-promoting properties of two LAB, Levilactobacillus brevis and Weizmannia coagulans, using the Caenorhabditis elegans model. We found that L. brevis and W. coagulans enhanced the intestinal integrity and intestinal barrier functions without affecting the overall physiological functions of C. elegans. Wild-type worms preconditioned with LAB strains increased their survival under oxidative and thermal stress conditions by reducing intracellular reactive oxygen levels. Live L. brevis and W. coagulans significantly extended the lifespan of C. elegans under standard laboratory conditions independently of dietary restrictions. Genetic and reporter gene expression analysis revealed that L. brevis and W. coagulans extend lifespan via insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling and the p38 MAPK signaling axis. Furthermore, sirtuin, JNK MAPK, and mitochondrial respiratory complexes were found to be partially involved in W. coagulans-mediated lifespan extension and stress resilience. Preconditioning with LAB ameliorated age-related functional decline in C. elegans and reduced ectopic fat deposition in an NHR-49-dependent manner. Together, our findings indicated that L. brevis and W. coagulans are worth exploring further as “gerobiotic” candidates to delay aging and improve the healthspan of the host.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author(s) upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

Some strains used in this study were provided by the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center (CGC, University of Minnesota, MN), which is funded by the NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (P40 OD010440). The Department of Science and Technology, Government of India is gratefully acknowledged for the financial support in the form of the DST-FIST program (No. SR/FST/LS-II/2017/111 (c); Dt: 25.01.2019) to the Department of Zoology, Bharathiar University, Tamil Nadu, India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641046, India

    Govindhan Thiruppathi, Periyakali Saravana Bhavan & Palanisamy Sundararaj

  2. PAK Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Senbaru 1, Nishihara-Cho, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan

    Amirthalingam Mohankumar & Shinkichi Tawata

  3. Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Environmentally Friendly Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea

    Duraisamy Kalaiselvi

  4. Department of Nanoscience and Technology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641046, India

    Muthusamy Velumani & Paramasivam Premasudha

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  1. Govindhan Thiruppathi
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Contributions

Govindhan Thiruppathi and Amirthalingam Mohankumar conducted the experiments, analyzed the data, and wrote the original manuscript. Muthusamy Velumani and Duraisamy Kalaiselvi contributed to data analysis. Periyakali Saravana Bhavan and Paramasivam Premasudha helped with instrumentation and data interpretation. Shinkichi Tawata and Palanisamy Sundararaj conceptualized and supervised the project. All authors reviewed the manuscript and gave their final approval for publication.

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Correspondence to Amirthalingam Mohankumar or Palanisamy Sundararaj.

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Thiruppathi, G., Mohankumar, A., Kalaiselvi, D. et al. Geroprotective Effect of Levilactobacillus brevis and Weizmannia coagulans in Caenorhabditis elegans. Probiotics & Antimicro. Prot. 16, 589–605 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12602-023-10060-y

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