Scientific Frontiers - Propionibacterium freudenreichii P.UF1 - Increnevo

Propionibacterium freudenreichii​P.UF1 Reduces Fat Accumulation in Caenorhabditis elegans​​

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Objective

The probiotic Propionibacterium freudenreichii​ P.UF1, isolated from fecal samples of breastfed preterm infants, plays a key role in the developing immune system. Propionibacteria​ excrete enzymes that break down fats with lipolytic activity ~100-fold higher than lactic acid bacteria. This study investigated the effects of P.UF1 on fat accumulation, as the potential beneficial effects of supplementing Propionibacteria on fat metabolism are unknown​.

Method

NemaLife’s proprietary microfluidic platform was used to determine if P.UF1 reduced fat levels in Caenorhabditis elegans​. Worms were raised on a diet of E. coli​ OP50 until adulthood and then switched to the experimental treatments. The control group remained on the OP50 diet, while the second group was treated with Orlistat, an anti-obesity medication, as a positive control. Two different P.UF1 concentrations were tested. One had the same CFU/ml as OP50, while the other had the same OD600. After 48 hours, the worms were stained with Nile Red dye and imaged to quantify the intestinal fat across groups.

Results

Orlistat significantly reduced fat versus the OP50 control (p < 0.01). Remarkably, both P.UF1 treatments led to much lower fat levels than the OP50 (~46%) and Orlistat (~37%) controls (p < 0.0001, respectively), suggesting that this probiotic had a more potent effect than a pharmaceutical drug.

Conclusions

P.UF1 significantly reduced fat accumulation in C. elegans under non-obesogenic conditions and could be a viable nutrient for sports nutrition, weight management, and body shaping through its beneficial effect on fat metabolism.

References

Ethics Approval: Not Applicable Funding Disclosure: This study was funded by NemaLife Inc. Conflicts of Interest: All authors report no conflicts of interest.