Microbiota-derived short chain fatty acids in fermented Kidachi Aloe promote antimicrobial, anticancer, and immunomodulatory activities

Abstract

Background: Fermented Aloe leaf juice is a commonly used food supplement in Japan. In a previous study, fermentation of A. arborescence juice was performed and the presence of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) was confirmed and quantified. Samples were collected before and after the fermentation process to be subjected, in the present study, to DNA extraction, 16S rRNA gene (V3–V4 regions) amplification, and sequencing by the next-generation Illumina MiSeq sequencer. Our work aims to analyze the sequences to assess the bacterial diversity in the juice before and after fermentation, identify the beneficial microbes responsible for the production of SCFAs, and evaluate some of the biological activities of the fermented juice. Results: Data revealed the richness and diversity of the bacterial community in the fermented juice compared to the unfermented control. Relative abundance of bacterial phyla showed that the majority of the microbial community in the test samples corresponded to Pseudomonadota (unfermented; 10.4%, fermented; 76.36%), followed by Bacillota (unfermented; 4.71%, fermented; 17.13%) and then Bacteroidota (unfermented; 0.57%, fermented; 1.64%). For the fermented sample, 84% of Bacillota were lactobacilli. A hierarchically clustered heatmap revealed that Lactobacillus was the most abundant genus in both samples suggesting its involvement in the production of SCFAs. To assess potential health benefits, the anticancer efficacy of the fermented product of A. arborescens was investigated against colorectal cancer (IC50 = 3.5 µg/ml) and liver cancer (IC50 = 6.367 µg/ml) compared to the normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Flow cytometric analysis of the cell cycle pattern revealed remarkable population arrest in G0 and G1, however, the highest percentages were mainly in the G1 phase for Hep-G2 (40.1%) and HCT-116 (53.2%) cell lines. This effect was accompanied by early apoptotic profiles of HCT-116 (36.9%) and late apoptosis for Hep-G2 (17.3%). Furthermore, immunomodulatory properties demonstrated a significantly (p < 0.001) reduced percentage of induced TNF-α while enhancing IFN-γ dramatically. For antimicrobial activities, marked broad-spectrum activities were recorded against some bacterial and fungal pathogens (17–37 mm inhibition zone diameter range). Conclusion: Therefore, this study affords the basis of bacterial community composition in fermented A. arborescens juice as well as its potential biological benefits.