An innovative functional fermented vegetable milk analogue fermented by <i>Acidipropionibacterium acidipropionici</i>, <i>Lactobacillus delbrueckii</i> and <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> mitigates the inflammatory response <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</

Industrialised, developed Western countries are seeking alternative sources of proteins owing to a demand for healthier food and increased focus on animal welfare. Concomitantly, these countries are subjected to a growing incidence of ailments related to inflammation. This results in a growing demand for vegetable functional foods addressing dietary, ethical and health concerns. In this context, we previously developed a bacterial consortium composed of <i>Acidipropionibacterium acidipropionici</i> CIRM-BIA2003, <i>Lactobacillus delbrueckii</i> Bioprox1585 and <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> Bioprox7116, leading to an innovative fermented soymilk with anti-inflammatory effects, as suggested <i>in vitro</i> using cultured human intestinal epithelial cells (HIECs). We further show herein that this consortium modulates human immune cells, <i>i.e.</i> peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) <i>ex vivo</i>, favouring the production of IL-10 by monocyte-derived dendritic cells and IL-17. Moreover, we show that the consortium protects epithelial barrier integrity <i>in vitro</i> in cultured HIECs when subjected to an inflammatory challenge. We finally show that this innovative fermented functional food, when consumed in a preventive manner, mitigates acute colitis <i>in vivo</i> in rats subjected to TNBS-induced colitis. This development opens new avenues for preclinical and clinical studies aimed at components of a preventive diet or the potentialization of treatments dealing with emerging chronic diseases that involve gut hyperpermeability and inflammation.