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Exploiting neonatal host-bifidobacteria interactions to promote intestinal pathogen tolerance and barrier function: Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis outperforms Bifidobacterium adolescentis in anti-Salmonella activity and maintenance of intestinal homeostasis

Chunxiu Lina,b, Shunhe Wanga,b, Min Guoa,b, Wentian Lia,b, Jiayin Qiua,b, Yonghua Zhouc, Hao Zhanga,b,d,e,f, Wei Chena,b,d, Gang Wanga,b,d,f()
State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
Key Laboratory of National Health Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, China
National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
Wuxi Translational Medicine Research Center and Jiangsu Translational Medicine Research Institute Wuxi Branch, Wuxi 214122, China
(Yangzhou) Institute of Food Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Yangzhou 225004, China

Peer review under responsibility of Beijing Academy of Food Sciences.

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Highlight

• B. longum subsp. infantis outperforms B. adolescentis in protection against Salmonella in neonatal rats

• B. longum subsp. infantis protects against Salmonella through modulation of the immune system and intestinal function

• B. longum subsp. infantis is a promising probiotic for treating neonatal gut infections

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Abstract

Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis and Bifidobacterium adolescentis play important roles in the guts of infants and adolescents, respectively. In this study, using a neonatal rat model, we compared the protective effects of these 2 bifidobacterial species against Salmonella infection. The results demonstrated that B. longum subsp. infantis was more effective than B. adolescentis in alleviating the severity of infection in newborn rats exposed to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strain SL1344. B. longum subsp. infantis attenuated intestinal inflammation and mucosal damage induced by Salmonella infection, as well as protecting intestinal nerves and intestinal barrier function through TLR4/MyD88 signalling. B. longum subsp. infantis also displayed the potential to modulate gut metabolites by promoting the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids (arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and α-linolenic acid) and purine metabolism (guanine, adenine, inosine and adenosine), thereby regulating metabolic disturbances. Additionally, the benefits of B. longum subsp. infantis were also observed in the liver, spleen and brain, improving nerve reflexes and suppressing hepatosplenomegaly. Overall, these findings provide novel insights into the prevention and treatment of gut-related diseases in newborns, highlighting the potentially significant role of B. longum subsp. infantis in clinical applications.

Keywords

Salmonella infectionBifi dobacterium longum subsp. infantisBifidobacterium adolescentisNewbornIntestinal inflammation

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Food Science and Human Wellness
Volume 14 Issue 4,
April 2025
Article number: 9250082
DOI: 10.26599/FSHW.2024.9250082
Cite this article:
Lin C, Wang S, Guo M, et al. Exploiting neonatal host-bifidobacteria interactions to promote intestinal pathogen tolerance and barrier function: Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis outperforms Bifidobacterium adolescentis in anti-Salmonella activity and maintenance of intestinal homeostasis. Food Science and Human Wellness, 2025, 14(4): 9250082. https://doi.org/10.26599/FSHW.2024.9250082
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