Biological Characteristics of a Probiotic Wickerhamomyces anomalus Isolated from Pickled Vegetables and Its Function in Preventing Hyperuricemia in Mice

TL;DR

A probiotic yeast from pickled vegetables was found to lower uric acid in mice, suggesting it could help prevent gout and kidney disease.

Contribution

The study identifies Wickerhamomyces anomalus YFJ252 as a novel probiotic with uric acid-lowering effects and potential anti-HUA mechanisms.

Findings

YFJ252 showed strong in vitro xanthine oxidase inhibition and antioxidant activity.

Mice fed YFJ252 had significantly lower serum uric acid, creatinine, and urea nitrogen levels.

Genome and metabolomics analyses suggest YFJ252 may use purine-degrading pathways to combat hyperuricemia.

Abstract

Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a metabolic disorder that can easily lead to gout or kidney disease, and it is believed that it can be treated effectively using probiotics. This study evaluated the safety, probiotic, and functional properties of Wickerhamomyces anomalus YFJ252, isolated from pickled vegetables, including its in vitro inhibitory activity against xanthine oxidase (XO) and in vivo uric acid-lowering activity in mice, using virulence factor screening, plate counting, and colorimetric assays. Meanwhile, the potential anti-HUA mechanism was also investigated using untargeted metabolomics and whole-genome analysis. The results show that YFJ252 is non-hemolytic and does not produce DNase, gelatinase, or biogenic amine. It has potential probiotic properties: 85.83% DPPH radical scavenging, 39.94% α-amylase inhibition, 35.32% α-glucosidase inhibition, 20.73% anti-inflammatory ability, and 84.15% XO inhibition capacity. Animal experiments indicated that early intake of YFJ252 could maintain serum uric acid levels at 165.08 μmol/L (p < 0.05), lower than the HUA group (212.19 μmol/L), and significantly decrease creatinine and urea nitrogen levels (p < 0.05). The hypothetical anti-HUA potential of YFJ252 might be due to the production of antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and XO-inhibitory metabolites during growth, as well as a purine-degrading pathway that the strain inherited. This study provides a theoretical basis for using W. anomalus YFJ252 as a food ingredient with preventive effects against HUA.

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