Probiotics as a Therapeutic Strategy for Obesity: New Thoughts on the Stress Response Mechanisms of Probiotics In Vitro and In Vivo

Probiotics are widely used in the prevention and care of obesity. Despite a large number of studies focusing on exploring benefits, probiotics inevitably encountered unexpected stress and challenges in vitro or in vivo during the practical application, which could substantially influence their viability and biological functions. This study summarized the literature that investigated the keywords of probiotics, obesity, and stress. The most reported probiotics genera related to obesity treatments (i.e., Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, yeast, and certain potential next-generation beneficial microorganisms), the key stress factors they encounter (i.e., gastric, cholate, organic acid, and other osmotic pressure stress during in vitro fermentation and in vivo application), and potential mechanisms for stress tolerance of certain probiotics were summarized. The main approaches for probiotics to resist stress are regulating the expression of some critical genes, increasing intracellular ATP, maintaining cell membrane function, and enhancing key metabolic pathways. We made recommendations for further research on the stress resistance mechanism of probiotics. The findings provide insights into the mechanisms of stress tolerance of probiotics and for screening of probiotics and development of novel probiotic foods with enhanced efficacy to combat obesity.