Evaluation of a witch hazel extract for the potential prebiotic and protective effect on select Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (prev. Lactobacillus plantarum) strains

Authors: FAILLA, M - Framingham State College; LEE, J - Framingham State College; Rasooly, Reuven; APOSTOLIDIS, E - Framingham State College

Submitted to: Frontiers in Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/11/2022
Publication Date: 4/29/2022
Citation: Failla, M., Lee, J., Rasooly, R., Apostolidis, E. 2022. Evaluation of a witch hazel extract for the potential prebiotic and protective effect on select Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (prev. Lactobacillus plantarum) strains. Frontiers in Nutrition. 9. Article 874666. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.874666.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.874666

Interpretive Summary: Probiotic bacteria, like Lactobacillus plantarum, are bacteria that contribute to the maintenance of a healthy gut. Prebiotics are substances that enhance the survival of probiotic bacteria. This study evaluated the effect of hamamelitannin-rich witch hazel extract on the survival of L. plantarumunder stress conditions. Oxidative stress was created by growing the aerotolerant bacteria in aerobic conditions, and nutritional stress was created by placing bacteria in poor nutritional conditions and following their survival. We show here that the extract provided significant protection to L. plantarumstrain LPBAA-793 from both oxidative and nutrient depletion stressors, suggesting that the witch hazel extract tested acted as a prebiotic. The results from this research provide for the first time the rationale that while witch hazel extract has significant antimicrobial activities on pathogenic microorganisms, it can play an important and positive role on health-beneficial probiotic bacteria.

Technical Abstract: Witch hazel extract has been evaluated in prior studies demonstrating the phenolic-mediated biofilm inhibition, toxin production inhibition and growth inhibition in Staphylococcus aureus. In this study we are evaluating the possible prebiotic and protective effect of witch hazel extract on select probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum strains, namely L. plantarum LP 10241 and L. plantarum LPBAA-793. When the prebiotic effect was evaluated, we observed that the tested extract had slight prebiotic effect on LPBAA-793 strain and no effect on LP 10241 strain. For the evaluation of the protective effect of witch hazel extract on the select strains, we subjected oxidative and nutrient depletion stress and monitored the cell death with and without addition of witch hazel extract. We observed that the tested extract had a significant protective effect on LPBAA-793 strain and a slighter protective effect against LP 10241 strains. The results from this research provide for the first time the rationale that while witch hazel extract has significant antimicrobial, anti-toxin production and anti-biofilm activities on pathogenic microorganisms, it might play an important and positive role on health-beneficial probiotic bacteria.