Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NCU0011129 ameliorated colorectal carcinogenesis by modulating gut microbiota and serum arachidonic acid metabolism in AOM/DSS-induced mice

Colorectal cancer (CRC), a highly prevalent and lethal gastrointestinal malignancy, has recently seen growing interest in probiotics for its prevention and treatment. This study evaluated the mitigating effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (NCU0011098, NCUH001084, and NCU0011129) on AOM/DSS-induced CRC mice. Phenotypic indicators and histopathological analysis demonstrated that all three strains improved the survival rates of CRC mice, reduced colonic tumor burden and shortening of colon length, lowered inflammation and oxidative stress levels in the colon, and alleviated intestinal barrier damage. Among them, NCU0011129 demonstrated the most remarkable efficacy, with a 26.19% increase in survival rate compared to the CRC group (66.7%). This strain also improved colon shortening by 68.16%. Furthermore, amplicon sequencing revealed that L. plantarum NCU0011129 ameliorated gut dysbiosis by decreasing the relative abundance of Desulfovibrio, Dubosiella, and Paramuribaculum, while promoting beneficial genera (Akkermansia, Muribaculum, and Alistipes). Notably, L. plantarum NCU0011129 modulated the serum metabolic profiles of CRC mice, altered amino acid and lipid metabolism pathways, with arachidonic acid metabolism being the most significantly affected. Overall, L. plantarum NCU0011129 inhibited CRC progression by modulating gut microbiota and host metabolism, with its efficacy linked to the specific attenuation of the arachidonic acid-inflammatory axis. These findings offer a promising probiotic-based strategy for CRC intervention.