Therapeutic effects of a potential probiotic product (Ogi-Pro) on gut microbiota and diarrhea alleviation: a preliminary in vivo evaluation in a murine model

Background Probiotics have shown promise in improving gut health and alleviating diarrheal diseases; however, evidence supporting non-dairy probiotic formulations remains limited. This study evaluated the safety, gastrointestinal persistence, immunomodulatory activity, and anti-diarrheal efficacy of Ogi-Pro, a cereal-based probiotic formulation containing indigenous Lactiplantibacillus pentosus 15ST2 and Lacticaseibacillus casei KN3, in a castor oil-induced murine model of acute diarrhoea. Methods Swiss albino mice received Ogi-Pro (1 × 10 9 CFU/mouse/day) by oral gavage for 14 days before induction of diarrhoea. Safety was assessed through general health observations, bacterial translocation, and histopathology. Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by fecal bacterial enumeration, diarrhoea frequency, intestinal histology, and cytokine expression using RT-qPCR and ELISA. Results Ogi-Pro was well tolerated, with no evidence of bacterial translocation or treatment-related toxicity. Probiotic administration increased intestinal lactobacilli while suppressing coliform populations and reduced diarrhoea severity to a level comparable with the commercial probiotic control. Total lactobacilli count (TLC) in both groups were higher than total coliform counts (TCC) by 3 log cfu/mL, only the standard control group showed competitive growth between TLC and TCC. Histopathological examination showed preservation of intestinal architecture with only mild inflammatory changes as compared to the standard group. The expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, in the treatment group was significantly ( p < 0.05) elevated; while modulating IL-8 and TNF-α responses, indicating an immunomodulatory effect associated with improved intestinal homeostasis. Conclusion These findings demonstrated that Ogi-Pro is a safe cereal-based probiotic formulation with promising anti-diarrheal and immunomodulatory properties in a murine model. The study supported the potential of traditional fermented cereal foods as non-dairy probiotic delivery systems while highlighting the need for mechanistic investigations and well-designed human clinical trials to establish clinical efficacy.