Therapeutic potential of Latilactobacillus curvatus CCFM1268 in colitis treatment: Insights from in vitro and in vivo studies

Latilactobacillus curvatus is a candidate probiotic that is known to have antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-obesity, and colitis-relieving beneficial effects. Here, we evaluated the effects of Lt. curvatus CCFM1268 on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced Caco-2 cell damage and colitis in mice. Our results demonstrate that Lt. curvatus CCFM1268 significantly restored cell viability and promoted the expression of barrier factors in vitro. In vivo, Lt. curvatus CCFM1268 significantly restored weight loss and colon damage in mice and modulated the levels of inflammatory factors and tight junction proteins in the colon. Latilactobacillus curvatus CCFM1268 also reduced the abundance of conditionally pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia_shigella and Alistipes, enriched the abundance of Lactobacillus, Parabacteroides, Enterococcus and Faecalibaculum, and significantly increased the concentrations of acetic, propionic, and butyric acid in the gut. These results indicate that Lt. curvatus CCFM1268 can alleviate colitis by inhibiting colonic inflammation, repairing the gut barrier, regulating the gut microbiota composition, and secreting metabolites, which was demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro.