In vitro anticancer and antifungal effects of Lactobacillus paracasei supernatants: a step toward sustainable food systems

Sustainability in food systems increasingly involves the integration of natural bioactive compounds that support human health while promoting eco-friendly production processes. Probiotic microorganisms, particularly those derived from food systems, have gained growing attention due to their dual rol...

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Main Authors: Berna Erdal, Bahar Yilmaz, Esra Bozgeyik, Seydi Yıkmış, Isam A. Mohamed Ahmed, Moneera O. Aljobair, Monica Trif
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1645521/full
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author Berna Erdal
Bahar Yilmaz
Esra Bozgeyik
Seydi Yıkmış
Isam A. Mohamed Ahmed
Moneera O. Aljobair
Monica Trif
author_facet Berna Erdal
Bahar Yilmaz
Esra Bozgeyik
Seydi Yıkmış
Isam A. Mohamed Ahmed
Moneera O. Aljobair
Monica Trif
author_sort Berna Erdal
collection DOAJ
description Sustainability in food systems increasingly involves the integration of natural bioactive compounds that support human health while promoting eco-friendly production processes. Probiotic microorganisms, particularly those derived from food systems, have gained growing attention due to their dual role in health promotion and sustainable biotechnological applications. This study investigates both the anticancer and antifungal properties of live and thermally inactivated cell-free supernatants (CFSs) of Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei, a food-grade probiotic, thereby addressing a significant research gap in the dual-functional potential of probiotic metabolites. Human glioma (U-87) and non-cancerous kidney epithelial (HEK293T) cells were treated with live and inactivated CFSs. A dose-dependent cytotoxic effect was observed, with IC₅₀ values indicating greater selective efficacy of the inactivated CFSs against glioma cells, while sparing normal cells. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy revealed that both CFSs induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the sub-G1 phase, findings further supported by DNA fragmentation analysis. In parallel, antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis was evaluated using the broth microdilution method. Notably, the inactivated CFSs exhibited potent fungistatic and fungicidal effects at lower concentrations than the live form, highlighting a novel, stable postbiotic alternative with therapeutic relevance. The present study is the first study to simultaneously demonstrate selective anticancer activity against U-87 glioma cells and broad-spectrum antifungal potential of inactivated L. paracasei CFSs. These findings represent a promising strategy for integrating probiotic-derived bioactives into sustainable food systems and functional food development.
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institution Kabale University
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publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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spelling doaj-art-e7904079aeab419caf5d4bcebc764a122025-08-20T03:39:18ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2025-08-01910.3389/fsufs.2025.16455211645521In vitro anticancer and antifungal effects of Lactobacillus paracasei supernatants: a step toward sustainable food systemsBerna Erdal0Bahar Yilmaz1Esra Bozgeyik2Seydi Yıkmış3Isam A. Mohamed Ahmed4Moneera O. Aljobair5Monica Trif6Department of Medical Microbiology, Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University Faculty of Medicine, Tekirdağ, TürkiyeDepartment of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Institute of Health Sciences, Tekirdağ Namık Kemal Üniversitesi, Tekirdağ, TürkiyeDepartment of Medical Biology, Adiyaman University Faculty of Medicine, Adıyaman, TürkiyeDepartment of Food Technology, Tekirdağ Namık Kemal Üniversitesi, Tekirdağ, TürkiyeDepartment of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Sports Health, College of Sports Sciences and Physical Activity, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCentre for Innovative Process Engineering (CENTIV) GmbH, Syke, GermanySustainability in food systems increasingly involves the integration of natural bioactive compounds that support human health while promoting eco-friendly production processes. Probiotic microorganisms, particularly those derived from food systems, have gained growing attention due to their dual role in health promotion and sustainable biotechnological applications. This study investigates both the anticancer and antifungal properties of live and thermally inactivated cell-free supernatants (CFSs) of Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei, a food-grade probiotic, thereby addressing a significant research gap in the dual-functional potential of probiotic metabolites. Human glioma (U-87) and non-cancerous kidney epithelial (HEK293T) cells were treated with live and inactivated CFSs. A dose-dependent cytotoxic effect was observed, with IC₅₀ values indicating greater selective efficacy of the inactivated CFSs against glioma cells, while sparing normal cells. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy revealed that both CFSs induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the sub-G1 phase, findings further supported by DNA fragmentation analysis. In parallel, antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis was evaluated using the broth microdilution method. Notably, the inactivated CFSs exhibited potent fungistatic and fungicidal effects at lower concentrations than the live form, highlighting a novel, stable postbiotic alternative with therapeutic relevance. The present study is the first study to simultaneously demonstrate selective anticancer activity against U-87 glioma cells and broad-spectrum antifungal potential of inactivated L. paracasei CFSs. These findings represent a promising strategy for integrating probiotic-derived bioactives into sustainable food systems and functional food development.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1645521/fullLactobacillus paracaseianticancerantifungalapoptosissustainable food systemspostbiotics
spellingShingle Berna Erdal
Bahar Yilmaz
Esra Bozgeyik
Seydi Yıkmış
Isam A. Mohamed Ahmed
Moneera O. Aljobair
Monica Trif
In vitro anticancer and antifungal effects of Lactobacillus paracasei supernatants: a step toward sustainable food systems
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Lactobacillus paracasei
anticancer
antifungal
apoptosis
sustainable food systems
postbiotics
title In vitro anticancer and antifungal effects of Lactobacillus paracasei supernatants: a step toward sustainable food systems
title_full In vitro anticancer and antifungal effects of Lactobacillus paracasei supernatants: a step toward sustainable food systems
title_fullStr In vitro anticancer and antifungal effects of Lactobacillus paracasei supernatants: a step toward sustainable food systems
title_full_unstemmed In vitro anticancer and antifungal effects of Lactobacillus paracasei supernatants: a step toward sustainable food systems
title_short In vitro anticancer and antifungal effects of Lactobacillus paracasei supernatants: a step toward sustainable food systems
title_sort in vitro anticancer and antifungal effects of lactobacillus paracasei supernatants a step toward sustainable food systems
topic Lactobacillus paracasei
anticancer
antifungal
apoptosis
sustainable food systems
postbiotics
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1645521/full
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