Effect of Lactobacillus fermentum MCC2760-Based Probiotic Curd on Hypercholesterolemic C57BL6 Mice.

Lactobacillus fermentum MCC2760 is a probiotic strain proven
earlier for cholesterol-reducing and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro and in
vivo. This study investigates L. fermentum MCC2760-based probiotic curd in highcholesterol
diet (HCD)-fed C57BL6 mice. The mice were grouped into normal
diet control, high-cholesterol diet control, normal diet with probiotic
supplementation, and high-cholesterol diet with probiotic supplementation.
Control groups and treatment groups were supplemented with market curd and
probiotic curd, respectively, via oral gavage for eight weeks. The probiotic count
was maintained at 10.95 log CFU/mL in the developed probiotic curd. The HCD
group showed an increase in feed intake and body weight. Reduction in the levels
of serum cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose,
aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine transaminase was observed in probioticsupplemented
groups. The probiotic-supplemented group resulted in an increase in
Lactobacillus spp. count along with reduced pathogen count in the feces. Probiotic
supplementation also showed a reduction in the bacterial translocation count in mesenteric adipose tissue. Expression of
inflammatory markers by qPCR showed the decline in the fold change of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-12 and elevation in the fold change of
IL-10 in the adipose tissue of the probiotic-treated group. Probiotic supplementation also improved the expression of GLP-1, ZO-1,
and CB2 in the intestine. They were thus possibly playing a role in the enhancement of barrier function. Histopathological sections
showed improvement in the cellular infiltration and pathological indications due to the high-cholesterol diet intake. Our study also
confirmed that probiotics could increase serum antioxidant enzymes in treated groups, showing their beneficial antioxidant activity.
It suggests the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant effect, and gut barrier function of the given probiotic formulation, which ameliorate
hypercholesterolemia.