Probiotic bacteria Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus L108 and Lacticaseibacillus delbrueckii R2 increase lifespan and influence the expression of Caenorhabditis elegans longevity genes

AnnotationNumerous studies have shown that probiotics hold great promise in slowing down the aging process and extending life expectancy. Bacteria of the genus Lacticaseibacillus have been found to possess antioxidant, antimutagenic and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as the ability to regulate the expression of genes that control signaling defense mechanisms in model objects. In this study, we used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism to investigate the impact of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus L108(L.rhamnosus L108) and Lacticaseibacillus delbrueckii R2 on nematode lifespan and the expression levels of genes associated with healthy aging. Our results demonstrate that the Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus L108 strain exhibits antioxidant properties and increases the average lifespan of nematodes by 15%. Lacticaseibacillus delbrueckii R2 also has a positive effect, extending the lifespan of the worms by 21.4%. Furthermore, analysis of longevity gene expression reveals a correlation between increased lifespan and activation of the insulin/insulin-like factor-1 pathway. Moreover, we observed a significant increase in the expression of the skn-1 gene, which encodes antioxidant proteins and enhances the antioxidant response. Our findings suggest that the expression of the skn-1 gene and the transcription factor SKN-1 are associated with activation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Therefore, it seems that probiotic bacteria Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus L108 and Lactobacillus delbrueckii R2 have a positive effect on lifespan due to increased expression of genes that underlie the regulation of conserved signaling pathways related to host defense.