Postbiotic metabolites as new therapeutic agents for health benefits

초록

Probiotics provide beneficial effects to human host by producing bioactive compounds called postbiotics. Short-chain fatty acids and vitamins are one of the most studied postbiotic molecules, enhancing gut epithelial fitness, barrier functions, and balance among gut microbial communites. However, although its effects on the host are well-established, the interaction among probiotic strains and gut microbial community are ill-defined. In this study, we analyzed secretory metabolome profiles produced by probiotic strains and evaluated their effects on alteration of human gut microbial synthetic community. Several molecules were discovered as microbial therapeutic metabolites or as shared metabolites between microbial species. Additional co-culture experiments verified that probiotics would affect gut microbial community mediated by transfer of the metabolites. Our findings support the importance of postbiotic metabolites via interaction with gut microbial community, subsequently acting on human health and diseases.