Probiotic Characteristics and the Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Z22 Isolated from Naturally Fermented Vegetables

Currently, there is increasing interest in the commercial utilization of probiotics isolated from traditional fermented food products. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the probiotic potential of <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> (<i>L. plantarum</i>) Z22 isolated from naturally fermented mustard. The results suggest that <i>L. plantarum</i> Z22 exhibits good adhesion ability, antibacterial activity, safety, and tolerance to acidic conditions and bile salts. We further determined the anti-inflammatory mechanism and properties of <i>L. plantarum</i> Z22 and found that <i>L. plantarum</i> Z22 could significantly reduce the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and the expression of the pro-inflammatory mediator cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, <i>L. plantarum</i> Z22 also effectively inhibited the signaling pathways of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). This effect can be attributed to a decrease in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. Moreover, whole-genome sequencing revealed that <i>L. plantarum</i> Z22 contains gene-encoding proteins with anti-inflammatory functions, such as beta-glucosidase (BGL) and pyruvate kinase (PK), as well as antioxidant functions, including thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), tyrosine-protein phosphatase, and ATP-dependent intracellular proteases ClpP. In summary, these results indicated that <i>L. plantarum</i> Z22 can serve as a potential candidate probiotic for use in fermented foods such as yogurt (starter cultures), providing a promising strategy for the development of functional foods to prevent chronic diseases.