Northeast China Traditional Kimchi (Paocai) Probiotic Resources Metabolized Uric Acid and Relieved Hyperuricemia in Mice

Abstract Current pharmacological therapies for hyperuricemia (HUA), though effective, pose safety concerns, including allopurinol‐induced severe dermal adverse reactions and febuxostat‐related cardiovascular risks, renal, and gastrointestinal intolerance with uricosuric agents. In this study, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei NEFU‐3 and NEFU‐4 from traditional Northeast Chinese kimchi “paocai” degraded 30.22% and 24.26% of uric acid (UA), respectively, with a higher degradation of 41.93% observed in probiotic consortia (PC), thereby directly limiting the drug toxicity and organ stress associated with current therapies. Functional genomic analysis revealed that PC was enriched in urate oxidase (EC 1.7.3.3), glyoxylate reductase (EC 1.1.1.26), 5‑hydroxyisourate hydrolase (EC 3.5.2.17) and allantoinase (EC 3.5.2.5), which promote UA degradation. Mice treated with PC showed a significant 32.57% reduction in serum UA while relieving creatinine (CRE), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) in HUA + PC compared with the hyperuricemic group (HUA). Moreover, PC reduced oxidative stress and improved kidney and liver health in HUA mice, enhanced the abundance of Lactobacillus, Akkermansia , and Bifidobacterium in the gut, and modulated the short‐chain fatty acid profile. This study shows that kimchi (paocai)‐derived probiotics can alleviate HUA by modulating UA metabolism and gut microbiota, highlighting their potential as a dietary aid for HUA.