Limosilactobacillus reuteri UN41 improves the survival rate and exhibits hepatoprotective effects in a murine model of Salmonella infection

Abstract

Salmonellosis poses a significant public health threat, potentially leading to severe complications, ranging from enteritis to life-threatening septicemia. Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica serovar Typhimurium has the ability to translocate from the intestine to the liver via the hepatic portal system, causing severe lesions in the organ. The development of new treatment strategies is crucial, due to clinical burden of this infection. In this context, probiotics have emerged as a promising therapeutic avenue due to their multifaceted mechanisms of action. The aim of this study was to investigate the probiotic potential of two strains of Limosilactobacillus reuteri (UN34 and UN41) in a murine model of salmonellosis. Although both strains demonstrated in vitro characteristics indicative of potential probiotics, only the UN41 strain improved the survival rate of mice infected with S. Typhimurium, highlighting that the probiotic effect is strain-specific. In the in vivo model, administration of UN41 also attenuated neutrophilic infiltration, reduced bacterial translocation to the liver, lowered AST levels, and mitigated liver injury. These findings underscore the potential of L. reuteri UN41 as a promising probiotic candidate for mitigating the impact of salmonellosis.