A thermoprotective probiotic function by thermostable lactic acid bacteria and its causal structure

Global warming has become an urgent issue, and heat-stress protective materials should be developed to manage human life and animal husbandry. Here, thermoprotective effects of Weizmannia coagulans SANK70258, a thermostable probiotic lactic acid bacterium, are investigated using a broiler model in an artificial thermal climate facility. Probiotic exposure significantly enhances their growth even under heat-stress. Based on the characteristic omics data selected using machine learning (random forest and XGBoost), structural equations and causal inference for broiler growth under heat-stress estimate the strong relationship with pyridoxal involved in the reduction of hepatic oxalic acid, which is responsible for cold sensitivity. It is also estimated that faecal Pseudomonas, which can reduce pyridoxal, is reduced by probiotic exposure, and has a negative causal effect on growth. Thus, these observations suggest a novel probiotic aspect of W. coagulans that modulates the mechanism of heat tolerance related to the cold sensitivity.