Probiotic Potential of Weizmannia coagulans MA42, an Endospore-Forming Probiotic Bacterium Capable of Dietary Fiber Digestion

<i>Weizmannia coagulans</i> has emerged as a prominent probiotic candidate due to its resilience in extreme environments and therapeutic potential for non-gastrointestinal diseases, including obesity, bacterial vaginosis, and irritable bowel syndrome-related depression. This study comprehensively evaluated the probiotic properties, safety profile, and functional characteristics of <i>W. coagulans</i> strains (MA42, P13, and S5) compared with the reference strain <i>W. coagulans</i> ATCC 7050. All tested strains exhibited excellent gastrointestinal survival (>90% viability), superior auto-aggregation (up to 36.60%), hydrophobicity (up to 36.58%), and susceptibility to commonly used antimicrobials. Cell-free culture supernatants showed potent antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria, including <i>Escherichia coli</i> ATCC 25922, <i>Salmonella enterica</i> serovar Typhimurium TISTR 292, and <i>Bacillus cereus</i> TISTR 747, primarily through organic acid production. Notably, strain MA42 uniquely inhibited the growth of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> TISTR 746. All strains showed negative hemolytic activity, confirming their safety profile. <i>W. coagulans</i> MA42 distinguished itself through exceptional metabolic versatility, demonstrating vigorous growth on diverse complex dietary fibers and prebiotics, with significant production of beneficial organic acids, particularly lactic and acetic acids. This superior fermentation capacity correlated directly with elevated extracellular-enzyme activities. Furthermore, all strains maintained excellent viability (>90% recovery) after freeze-drying with maltodextrin as a cryoprotectant, indicating industrial scalability.