Weizmannia coagulans BC99, a Gram-positive, spore-forming, lactic acid-producing bacterium is renowned for its resilience and health-promoting properties, W. coagulans BC99 survives harsh environments, including high temperatures and gastric acidity, enabling effective delivery to the intestines. The consequences of chronic sleep deprivation (SD) include memory deficits and gastrointestinal dysfunction. In this study, a chronic sleep deprivation cognitive impairment model was established by using a sleep deprivation instrument and W. coagulans BC99 was given by gavage for 4 weeks to explore the mechanism by which BC99 improves cognitive impairment in sleep-deprived mice. BC99 improved cognitive abnormalities in novel object recognition tests induced by chronic sleep deprivation and showed behavior related to spatial memory in the Morris water maze test. W. coagulans BC99 reduced the heart mass index of sleep-deprived mice, increased the sleep-related neurotransmitters 5-HT and DA, decreased corticosterone and norepinephrine, and increased alpha diversity and community similarity. It reduced the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Olsenella, increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and promoted the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). W. coagulans BC99 also inhibits LPS translocation and the elevation of peripheral inflammatory factors by maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier and inhibiting the expression of the NLRP3 signaling pathway in the jejunum, thereby inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome in the brain of mice and reducing inflammatory factors in the brain, providing a favorable environment for the recovery of cognitive function. The present study confirmed that W. coagulans BC99 ameliorated cognitive impairment in chronic sleep-deprived mice by improving gut microbiota, especially by promoting SCFAs production and inhibiting the NLRP3 signaling pathway in the jejunum and brain. These findings may help guide the treatment of insomnia or other sleep disorders through dietary strategies.

Background/Objectives: With the improvement of living standards, alcoholic liver disease caused by long-term drinking has been a common multiple disease. Probiotic interventions may help mitigate liver damage caused by alcohol intake, but the mechanisms need more investigation. Methods: This study involved 70 long-term alcohol drinkers (18–65 years old, alcohol consumption ≥20 g/day, lasting for more than one year) who were randomly assigned to either the BC99 group or the placebo group. Two groups were given BC99 (3 g/day, 1 × 10¹⁰ CFU) or placebo (3 g/day) for 60 days, respectively. Before and after the intervention, blood routine indicators, liver function, renal function, inflammatory factors and intestinal flora were evaluated. Results: The results showed that intervention with Weizmannia coagulans BC99 reduced the levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, glutamyl transpeptidase, serum total bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid and ‘blood urea nitrogen/creatinine’. Weizmannia coagulans BC99 also reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-6 and increased the levels of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10. The results of intestinal flora analysis showed that Weizmannia coagulans BC99 regulated the imbalance of intestinal flora, increased the beneficial bacteria abundance (Prevotella, Faecalibacterium and Roseburia) and reduced the conditionally pathogenic bacteria abundance (Escherichia-Shigella and Klebsiella). Both LEfSe analysis and random forest analysis indicated that the increase in the abundance of Muribaculaceae induced by BC99 was a key factor in alleviating alcohol-induced liver damage. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that Weizmannia coagulans BC99 has the potential to alleviate alcoholic liver injury and provide an effective strategy for liver protection in long-term drinkers.

Background/Objectives: Probiotic interventions can alleviate gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort, but evidence comparing multi-strain combinations at different doses remains limited. We evaluated whether formulation potency influences clinical and microbiome outcomes. Methods: In a 4-week, randomized, double-blind trial, 100 eligible adults received one of two higher-dose multi-strain probiotic formulations at different dosages (Wec120B vs Wec300B). Weekly Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) scores tracked symptom trajectories. Gut microbiota composition and diversity were profiled by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Biomarkers included lipopolysaccharide (LPS), fecal calprotectin (FC), and immunoglobulin A (IgA). Results: Results indicated that the Wec120B group showed more significant improvement in abdominal pain during the early phase of intervention, while the Wec300B group was more effective in relieving reflux symptoms. In terms of biomarkers, Wec120B was more effective in reducing lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels, whereas Wec300B showed a greater increase in immunoglobulin A (IgA) and a more pronounced reduction in fecal calprotectin (FC) levels. Both formulations significantly increased the abundance of beneficial genera such as Bifidobacterium, Blautia, [Eubacterium]_hallii_group, and Anaerostipes, while suppressing the growth of potential pathogens including Prevotella and Escherichia-Shigella. Conclusions: These findings suggest that both compound probiotic products can significantly improve GI symptoms and modulate gut microbiota structure, with Wec300B showing a superior performance in microbial regulation, likely due to its higher dosage of probiotics. This study provides reference evidence for the rational application of probiotic products in gut health management.

The consequences of chronic sleep deprivation include memory deficits and gastrointestinal dysfunction. Studies suggest that gut microbiota plays a causal role in cognitive impairment induced by chronic sleep deprivation, but the working mechanism of the microbiota-gut-brain axis remains unclear. In this study, a chronic sleep deprivation cognitive impairment model was established by sleep deprivation instrument, and Weizmannia coagulans BC99 was given by gavage for 4 weeks. BC99 improved cognitive abnormalities in novel object recognition tests induced by chronic sleep deprivation and showed behavior related to spatial memory in the Morris water maze test. W. coagulans BC99 reduced the heart mass index of sleep-deprived mice, increased the sleep-related neurotransmitters 5-HT and DA, decreased corticosterone and norepinephrine, and increased alpha diversity and community similarity. It reduced the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Olsenella, increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and promoted the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). W. coagulansBC99 also inhibits LPS translocation and the elevation of peripheral inflammatory factors by maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier and inhibiting the expression of the NLRP3 signaling pathway in the jejunum, thereby inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome in the brain of mice and reducing inflammatory factors in the brain, providing a favorable environment for the recovery of cognitive function. The present study confirmed that W. coagulans BC99 ameliorated cognitive impairment in chronic sleep-deprived mice by improving gut microbiota, especially by promoting SCFAs production and inhibiting the NLRP3 signaling pathway in the jejunum and brain. These findings may help guide the treatment of insomnia or other sleep disorders through dietary strategies.