<em>Lactobacillus pentosus</em> LPQ1 mitigates inflammation induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress via modulation of gut microbial metabolites in mice

With the increasing societal pressure, systemic inflammation levels have gradually risen. Probiotics are believed to alleviate stress-related diseases by modulating the gut microbiota. Uncertainty exists about the connection between gut microbiota metabolites and stress-induced inflammation following probiotic therapy. This study investigates whether <em>Lactobacillus </em>(<em>L</em>). <em>pentosus </em>LPQ1 alleviates inflammation caused by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and examines its effects on intestinal barrier permeability and gut microbiota metabolites. By increasing colonic tight junction proteins and decreasing inflammatory responses, our findings suggested that intestinal barrier failure and systemic inflammation caused by CUMS are lessened by <em>L. pentosus</em> LPQ1. CUMS-induced alterations in gut microbiota-derived metabolites—particularly inflammation-associated compounds such as melilotussaponin O1, narasin, and (−)-stercobilin—were significantly reversed following treatment with<em> L. pentosus</em> LPQ1. These results imply that metabolites generated by the gut microbiota are important in lowering inflammatory responses associated with CUMS. <em>L. pentosus </em>LPQ1 can effectively alleviate CUMS-exposed inflammatory responses by regulating gut microbiota metabolites and intestinal barrier permeability. This study proposes a gut microbiota-based therapeutic strategy for stress-induced inflammation, potentially paving the way for novel interventions.