Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TWK10, a probiotic strain, has been demonstrated to improve exercise performance, regulate body composition, and ameliorate age-related declines. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of viable and heat-killed TWK10 in the regulation of exercise performance, body composition, and gut microbiota in humans. Healthy adults (n = 53) were randomly divided into three groups: Control, TWK10 (viable TWK10, 3 × 10¹¹ colony forming units/day), and TWK10-hk (heat-killed TWK10, 3 × 10¹¹ cells/day) groups. After six-week administration, both the TWK10 and TWK10-hk groups had significantly improved exercise performance and fatigue-associated features and reduced exercise-induced inflammation, compared with controls. Viable TWK10 significantly promoted improved body composition, by increasing muscle mass proportion and reducing fat mass. Gut microbiota analysis demonstrated significantly increasing trends in the relative abundances of Akkermansiaceae and Prevotellaceae in subjects receiving viable TWK10. Predictive metagenomic profiling revealed that heat-killed TWK10 administration significantly enhanced the signaling pathways involved in amino acid metabolisms, while glutathione metabolism, and ubiquinone and other terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis pathways were enriched by viable TWK10. In conclusion, viable and heat-killed TWK10 had similar effects in improving exercise performance and attenuating exercise-induced inflammatory responses as probiotics and postbiotics, respectively. Viable TWK10 was also highly effective in regulating body composition. The differences in efficacy between viable and heat-killed TWK10 may be due to differential impacts in shaping gut microbiota.

Kefir is an acidic, carbonated, and fermented dairy product produced by fermenting milk with kefir grains. The Lactobacillus species constitutes an important part of kefir grains. In a previous animal study, kefir effectively improved exercise performance and had anti-fatigue effects. The purpose of this research was to explore the benefits of applying kefir to improve exercise performance, reduce fatigue, and improve physiological adaptability in humans. The test used a double-blind crossover design and supplementation for 28 days. Sixteen 20–30 year-old subjects were divided into two groups in a balanced order according to each individual’s initial maximal oxygen uptake and were assigned to receive a placebo (equal flavor, equal calories, 20 g/day) or SYNKEFIR™ (20 g/day) every morning. After the intervention, there were 28 days of wash-out, during which time the subjects did not receive further interventions. After supplementation with SYNKEFIR™, the exercise time to exhaustion was significantly greater than that before ingestion (p = 0.0001) and higher than that in the Placebo group by 1.29-fold (p = 0.0004). In addition, compared with the Placebo group, the SYNKEFIR™ administration group had significantly lower lactate levels in the exercise and recovery (p < 0.05). However, no significant difference was observed in the changes in the gut microbiota. Although no significant changes in body composition were found, SYNKEFIR™ did not cause adverse reactions or harm to the participants’ bodies. In summary, 28 days of supplementation with SYNKEFIR™ significantly improved exercise performance, reduced the production of lactic acid after exercise, and accelerated recovery while also not causing any adverse reactions.

For vegetarians or vegan athletes, improving the utilization of plant-based protein and the absorption of amino acids is crucial. This study explored the impact of combining pea protein with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TWK10 and resistance training on amino acid absorption and exercise performance. Sixteen male and sixteen female participants were randomly assigned to either a control group (20 g of pea protein without TWK10) or a TWK10 group (20 g of pea protein combined with 1 × 10¹⁰ colony-forming units of TWK10). After 28 days of supplementation combined with resistance exercise training three times per week. All subjects underwent body composition and muscle strength performance, plasma and fecal samples were collected for microbiota analysis and blood amino acid concentrations. The TWK10 group showed a significant increase in muscle thickness and improvements were observed in 1 repetition maximum bench press, explosive, anaerobic power output compared to before the intervention, and were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). TWK10 supplementation significantly increased the area under the curve and maximum concentration of branched-chain amino acids, essential amino acids, and total amino acids (p < 0.05). Furthermore, TWK10 supplementation effectively increased the richness of gut bacterial families. Our study demonstrated that the TWK10 significant increase in the abundance of specific bacterial families in the gut, resulting in increased pea protein amino acid absorption. Moreover, increasing muscle mass and significantly improving muscle thickness, muscle strength, power, and anaerobic capacity.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP28 (LP28), isolated from traditional Taiwanese dried tofu, has been demonstrated to have substantial probiotic potential because it increases the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and strengthens anti-inflammatory responses. In this study, the safety of LP28 was assessed using both in vitro and in vivo approaches, including whole-genome sequence analysis, the Ames bacterial reverse mutation assay, a chromosomal aberration test, a rodent peripheral blood micronucleus test, a 28-day subacute oral toxicity assay, and an assessment of hemolytic activity. In vitro phenotypic evaluation revealed that LP28 exhibited no hemolytic activity and was susceptible to all the tested antibiotics except kanamycin. In vivo assessments revealed no significant alterations in reticulocyte counts or micronuclei incidence in ICR mice, and SD rats exhibited no subacute toxicity at an oral LP28 dosage of 2000 mg/kg body weight/day for 28 days. Moreover, a whole-genome sequence analysis of LP28 revealed the absence of antimicrobial resistance genes, harmful virulence factors, and genes associated with biogenic amine synthesis. Additionally, the presence of genes involved in stress responses (e.g., acid, bile salt, heat, osmotic, and oxidative stresses) and adhesion-related genes was confirmed. Furthermore, LP28 contains six genes (plnA, plnE, plnF, plnJ, plnK, and plnN) that encode bacteriocin precursor peptides, suggesting the potential for enhanced probiotic effects through the production of antimicrobial plantaricins. These findings highlight the potential of LP28 as a safe and effective probiotic for human consumption.

Functional foods have shown promise in mitigating skin aging. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TWK10 (LPTWK10) and its spray-dried supernatant powder on ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced skin photoaging in female BALB/c nude mice. Over a 13-week period of UVB exposure and concurrent administration of high doses of LPTWK10 or its spray-dried fermentation supernatant, significant improvements were observed, skin wrinkles were notably reduced, transepidermal water loss rate decreased by 68.94–70.77%, and stratum corneum hydration increased by 76.97–112.24%. Furthermore, LPTWK10 was effective in reducing erythema and inflammation while enhancing skin lightness. Histological assessments revealed substantial reductions in epidermal hyperplasia and collagen degradation. Additionally, LPTWK10 was found to influence critical mechanisms associated with collagen metabolism and proinflammatory cytokine production. In summary, LPTWK10 attenuates photoaging through modulation of collagen metabolism and reduction in inflammatory responses, suggesting its potential as a functional ingredient for delaying photoaging.