Flower thinning is often used during the planting of fruit trees to improve fruit quality and promote large fruit. Flower buds become an agricultural by-product of the planting process. Pitaya (Hylocereus undatus) is a popular fruit in many tropical regions, which is widely cultivated in Southeast Asian countries. Probiotics such as Lactobacillus plantarum have been shown to exhibit an anti-obesity effect by regulating gut microbiota. This study investigated the effect of polysaccharides from pitaya flower buds (PFW) extracted with water on the regulation of gut microbiota and body weight control in mice fed with a high-fat diet. The effects of PFW on the growth of L. plantarum were analyzed and the propagation of L. plantarum was promoted in an aqueous solution containing PFW. In an in vivo study, mice were fed with a high-fat diet supplemented with PFW for 12 weeks; PFW treatment effectively controlled body weight and reduced short bowel syndrome of mice induced by the high-fat diet. Gut microbiota sequencing revealed that Lachnospiraceae and Lactobacillaceae were the main bacteria targeted by PFW. Moreover, transcript analysis demonstrated that PFW alleviated obesity through amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and glycan metabolism. Overall, PFW is a valuable food supplement that can regulate gut microbiota and may have potential to ameliorate the physiological damage caused by a high-fat diet.

White shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei is an important species of farmed shrimp. Intestinal bacterial composition and immune activity play important roles in regulating the health condition of shrimp. Lactic acid bacteria Limosilactobacillus fermentum SWP-AFFS02 was isolated from the intestine of sea fish Rachycentron canadum, and the potential of its effect on growth, immunity, and intestinal microbiota of L. vannamei shrimp was investigated. Shrimps received feed with or without the addition of 8 log CFU/g L. fermentum SWP-AFFS02 thrice a day for 8 weeks. After 8-week treatment, weight gain, feed conversion rate, and survival rate of shrimp were greater in the L. fermentum SWP-AFFS02-feed group than in the control group. L. fermentum SWP-AFFS02 treatment increased the number of granular cells and semi-granular cells and decreased hyaline cell number when compared to the control group. L. fermentum SWP-AFFS02 promoted prophenoloxidase (PO) activity through increasing immune-associated gene expression in the hepatopancreas of shrimp. In addition, administration of feed containing L. fermentum SWP-AFFS02 regulated intestinal microbiota via decreasing the ratio of pathogenic bacteria, such as Vibrionaceae and Enterobacteriaceae, in the intestine of shrimp. This study demonstrated that administration of L. fermentum SWP-AFFS02 effectively prevented infection of L. vannamei shrimp by regulating intestinal microbiota and enhancing immunity in shrimp to increase the growth and improve their health status, which acted as a probiotic and provided beneficial effects on shrimp.

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a large intestine disease caused by toxins produced by the spore-forming bacterium C. difficile, which belongs to Gram-positive bacillus. Using antibiotics treatment disturbances in the gut microbiota and toxins produced by C. difficile disrupt the intestinal barrier. Some evidence indicates fecal microbiota transplantation and probiotics may decrease the risk of CDI recurrence. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of fermented mango by using the lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus and develop innovative products in the form of fermented mango jam. L. acidophilus-fermented mango products inhibited the growth of C. difficile while promoting the growth of next-generation probiotic Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Both supernatant and precipitate of mango-fermented products prevented cell death in gut enterocyte-like Caco-2 cells against C. difficile infection. Mango-fermented products also protected gut barrier function by elevating the expression of tight junction proteins. Moreover, L. acidophilus-fermented mango jam with high hydrostatic pressure treatment had favorable textural characteristics and sensory quality.

Gut microbiota dysbiosis is increasingly being recognized as a major contributor to host metabolic imbalance, immune dysfunction, and neurophysiological disorders. Probiotics are known to modulate intestinal metabolism and exert systemic effects through the gut–brain axis. Herein, we evaluated the safety and probiotic potential of Pediococcus acidilactici SWP-CGPA01 (SWP-CGPA01) under antibiotic-induced microbiota dysbiosis. Genomic and phenotypic analyses verified its safety profile, supporting its suitability for use in food and nutritional applications. In a mouse model of antibiotic-induced dysbiosis, SWP-CGPA01 supplementation alleviated diarrhea and restored hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression. These findings demonstrate that SWP-CGPA01 is a safe and functionally active probiotic with the potential to maintain gastrointestinal and neurotrophic homeostasis under gut microbiota dysbiosis.