Heat-Treated Bifidobacterium longum CECT-7347: A Whole-Cell Postbiotic with Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Gut-Barrier Protection Properties

Abstract

Non-viable preparations of probiotics, as whole-cell postbiotics, attract increasing interest because of their intrinsic technological stability, and their functional properties, such as immune system modulation, gut barrier maintenance, and protection against pathogens. However, reports on <i>Bifidobacteria</i>-derived postbiotics remain scarce. This study aims to demonstrate the functional properties of a heat-treated (HT), non-viable, <i>Bifidobacterium longum</i> strain, CECT-7347, a strain previously selected for its anti-inflammatory phenotype and ability to improve biomarkers of intestinal integrity in clinical trials. The study used the nematode <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> and HT-29 cell cultures as eukaryotic model systems. Our results show that HT-CECT-7347 preserves the capacity to protect against oxidative stress damage, while it also reduces acute inflammatory response and gut-barrier disruption, and inhibits bacterial colonization, by activating pathways related to innate immune function. These findings highlight the interest of the ingredient as a novel postbiotic and pave the way to broaden the range of HT-CECT-7347 applications in gut health.