Lacticaseibacillus paracasei FJG2337 mitigate acute liver injury-related inflammatory responses, gut microbiota and liver metabolism in mice

Acute liver injury (ALI) has a high global prevalence but limited and suboptimal treatment options. Probiotics can help improve liver function by regulating gut microbiota, suppressing inflammatory responses, and inhibiting oxidative stress. However, substantial variations exist in the hepatoprotective efficacy of different bacterial strains. <i>Lacticaseibacillus paracasei</i> FJG2337 was isolated from the feces of long-lived elderly individuals, but its potential hepatoprotective effects remain unclear. In the present study, the influence of <i>L. paracasei</i> FJG2337 on the liver function in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mice was investigated. Our data demonstrated that <i>L. paracasei</i> FJG2337 ameliorated the serum parameters (including ALT, AST, and ALP) and elevated cecal short-chain fatty acids contents in mice with ALI. <i>L. paracasei</i> FJG2337 pre-treatment suppressed inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in ALI mice through modulating the TLR4/NF-кB and Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, respectively. Furthermore, <i>L. paracasei</i> FJG2337 significantly elevated the abundance of beneficial bacteria in mice and significantly reduced the harmful bacteria populations. Metabolomics analysis displayed that <i>L. paracasei</i> FJG2337 ameliorated liver metabolism in ALI mice, primarily affecting tryptophan metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, retinol metabolism, and glutathione metabolism, and so on. These results highlight that <i>L. paracasei</i> FJG2337 could serve as a promising probiotic intervention for patients with liver function injury.