Soymilk yogurt fermented using <i>Pediococcus pentosaceus</i> TOKAI 759 m improves mice gut microbiota and reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine production

This study aimed to determine the anti-inflammatory activities and bioactive compounds of soymilk yogurt prepared using Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TOKAI 17 or Pediococcus pentosaceus TOKAI 759 m. Mice were divided into five groups: normal diet (ND), soymilk, soymilk yogurt using L. plantarum TOKAI 17 (SY 17) or P. pentosaceus TOKAI 759 m (SY 759 m), and 0.5 × 109 cells of each starter strain (BC 17 or BC759m). In the SY 759 m group, the serum pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and the cytotoxicity of natural killer cells were attenuated compared to the ND group. In the cecum microbiota, the abundances of butyrate-producing bacteria increased in the SY 759 m and BC 17 groups. Furthermore, SY 759 m metabolites contained high levels of aglycone isoflavone, adenine and showed a significant decrease in CCL-2 and interleukin-6 production in lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophage. In conclusion, soymilk yogurt produced using P. pentosaceus TOKAI 759 m modulates the gut microbiota and can potentially prevent pro-inflammatory cytokine production.