Goat milk butter, locally known as “Dhan”, from the Sfisfa region of Algeria, holds significant cultural and economic value. This study investigates the probiotic properties of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) present in Dhan, focusing particularly on Lactobacillus strains. Molecular identification using 16S rRNA revealed a dominance of Levilactobacillus brevis and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, forming a substantial part of the bacterial profile. Three LAB isolates (DC01-A, DC04, and DC06) were selected from fresh samples, and rigorous analyses were performed to evaluate their probiotic properties. Safety assessments confirmed the absence of gelatinase, DNase, and haemolytic activities in all isolates. The isolates demonstrated high tolerance to bile salts and acidic conditions, along with the ability to survive simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Notably, strain DC06 exhibited exceptional survival at low pH (1.5) and high bile salt concentrations (0.15–0.3%). All isolates showed substantial growth in MRS medium with 2% phenol, although growth was significantly decreased at 5% phenol. Furthermore, our strains exhibited high adhesion rates to various solvents, demonstrating their potential for strong interaction with cell membranes. Specifically, adhesion to chloroform was observed at 98.26% for DC01-A, 99.30% for DC04, and 99.20% for DC06. With xylene, the adhesion rates were 75.94% for DC01-A, 61.13% for DC04, and 76.52% for DC06. The LAB strains demonstrated impressive growth in ethanol concentrations up to 12%, but their tolerance did not exceed this concentration. They also exhibited robust growth across temperatures from 10 °C to 37 °C, with strains DC04 and DC06 able to proliferate at 45 °C, though none survived at 50 °C. Additionally, the isolates showed significant resistance to oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and displayed medium to high autolytic activity, with rates of 50.86%, 37.53%, and 33.42% for DC01-A, DC04, and DC06, respectively. The cell-free supernatant derived from strain DC04 exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against the tested pathogens, while strain DC06 demonstrated moderate antioxidant activity with the highest DPPH scavenging rate at 68.56%, compared to the probiotic reference strain LGG at 61.28%. These collective findings not only suggest the probiotic viability of LAB strains found in Dhan but also highlight the importance of traditional food practises in contributing to health and nutrition. Consequently, this study supports the potential of traditional Dhan butter as a functional food and encourages further exploration of its health benefits.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important vegetable crop in many Mediterranean countries, and Fusarium is known to cause wilt in these crops. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris and Fusarium redolens are the only species which have been reported as the causes of Fusarium wilt in Algeria. Fusarium isolates (74) were obtained from roots of chickpea plants showing symptoms of wilting and necroses in xylem tissues. The plants were from 11 eleven principal provinces for chickpea crops in Algeria. Laboratory identifications for 31 isolates were achieved by sequencing their transcription elongation Factor 1- α (Ef-1 α) gene regions. Four principal species were identified including F. oxysporum (20 isolates), F. redolens (ten isolates), F. solani (one isolate) based on PCR using species-specific primers, and three formae speciales were identified within Fusarium oxysporum. Fusarium redolens and F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceris were dominant in the sampling sites. Fusarium redolens was identified in the western region of Algeria, and F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceris was not isolated from this region. In contrast, from the eastern region, F. redolens was not isolated but F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceris was detected. Pathogenicity tests showed that chickpea was susceptible to various Fusarium species. Inoculated plants exhibited gradual wilting that eventually affected entire plants. This study provides new knowledge of the distribution of Fusarium species causing chickpea wilt in Algeria. Precise identification and the localization of pathogen species is important for developing Fusarium wilt management strategies, including development of wilt resistant chickpea cultivars.

This study evaluated whether Lactobacillus acidophilus supplementation provides additional benefits to a whey protein‐based high‐protein diet (HPD) in diet‐induced obese rats. After obesity induction, 48 male Wistar rats were assigned to four 12‐week interventions ( n = 12/group): ND1 (140 g/kg whey protein isolate), ND2 (ND1 + L. acidophilus ), HPD1 (500 g/kg whey protein isolate) and HPD2 (HPD1 + L. acidophilus ). Supplemented groups received 5 × 10 ⁸ CFU/rat/day by oral gavage. Food intake, body‐weight change, regional fat mass, serum biochemical markers and gut microbiota composition were evaluated. HPD‐fed rats showed lower food intake, sustained body‐weight loss and reduced visceral and epididymal fat masses compared with rats receiving normal‐protein diets. Body‐weight trajectories differed between dietary regimens ( p = 0.013), whereas weight loss did not differ significantly between HPD1 and HPD2 ( p = 0.06). Fasting glycemia remained unchanged. At month 3, ND1 showed the highest triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations, while ND2, HPD1 and HPD2 displayed lower terminal values. High‐protein feeding was associated with higher terminal urea and uric acid concentrations, whereas creatinine did not progressively increase. In the microbiota subset, HPD2 was characterized by higher relative abundances of Lactobacillus and Turicibacter . The whey protein‐based HPD was the principal factor associated with body‐weight reduction, lower adiposity and favorable lipid responses in obese rats. Under high‐protein conditions, L. acidophilus did not confer an additional benefit for body weight or serum lipids, although its effect on gut microbiota composition warrants further functional investigation.