Şükran Özdatlı Kurtuluş, Ertuğrul Osman Bursalıoğlu, Reyhan Aliusta, Betül Türker Şallı, Batuhan Cenk Özkan, Deniz Köşebent, Ahmet Arif Kurt, Abdurrahman Recep Bülbül, Fatih Hacımustafaoğlu, Bekir Çakıcı, Nazlı Gamze Bülbül, Emine Kızılay, Ronayı Coşkun, Gamze Yıldırım, Semra Sardas, İsmail Aslan
ATA-LPC98052 demonstrated favorable in vitro probiotic characteristics, technological stability, gut microbiota-modulating potential, and a favorable subacute safety profile under the tested conditions; however, microbiota findings were exploratory, and phenotypic MIC testing remains warranted.
BACKGROUND: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum is a widely studied probiotic species; however, probiotic characteristics and safety profiles are strain-specific, requiring independent evaluation. This study characterized Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATA-LPC98052 as a candidate probiotic raw material.
METHODS: ATA-LPC98052 was evaluated for hemolysis, acid/bile tolerance, Caco-2 adhesion, cytotoxicity, and storage stability. Subacute oral safety was assessed in Wistar rats by gavage for 28 days at 1.2 × 1011 CFU/kg/day; the study design incorporated selected principles of OECD Test Guideline 407. Clinical, hematological, biochemical, organ-weight, and macroscopic endpoints were evaluated. Fecal microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing; WGS was used for taxonomic confirmation and genomic safety screening.
RESULTS: ATA-LPC98052 was γ-hemolytic and maintained 60% viability at pH 1.5 and 96% at pH 5.0, while viability ranged from 74% to 82% across 0.1-0.5% bile salt concentrations. Caco-2 cell viability was 99%, adhesion exceeded 90%, and the lyophilized preparation remained stable for 15 months, maintaining 9.6 log10 CFU/g. Repeated oral administration caused no mortality or consistent treatment-related toxicological pattern. Longitudinal microbiota analysis showed no significant treatment × time effects on alpha diversity or Bray-Curtis community structure, and no genus-level MaAsLin2 association was FDR-significant. WGS confirmed L. plantarum identity and no contamination; ResFinder detected no acquired antimicrobial resistance determinants meeting specified thresholds, whereas CARD/RGI identified low-identity qacJ and vanY homologs requiring cautious interpretation.
CONCLUSION: ATA-LPC98052 demonstrated favorable in vitro probiotic characteristics, technological stability, gut microbiota-modulating potential, and a favorable subacute safety profile under the tested conditions; however, microbiota findings were exploratory, and phenotypic MIC testing remains warranted.