Lactiplantibacillus plantarum from Thai fermented pork with inulin ameliorates metabolic disturbances through proteomic mechanisms

Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 32; initial weight 204.12 ± 4.80 g) were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 8 per group): normal diet (N), high-fat diet (HF), high-fat diet supplemented with L. plantarum P4 (HFLac; 10⁹ CFU/g), and high-fat diet supplemented with both L. plantarum P4 and inulin (HFLacIn; 10⁹ CFU/g + 0.1% w/w inulin).

After a 4-week intervention, lipid profiles, hepatic and renal function markers, and systemic inflammatory parameters were assessed. Proteomic profiling of liver tissues was performed using high-resolution mass spectrometry.The HF group exhibited significant alterations in hepatic protein expression compared to the N group, reflecting dysregulated fatty acid metabolism. Notably, the synbiotic intervention (HFLacIn) led to substantial improvements, including: (1) enhanced lipid profiles, characterized by elevated HDL-C (15.8%) and reduced LDL-C (9.5%) and VLDL (15.9%); (2) improved liver function, evidenced by decreased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels (3.4% reduction); and (3) attenuated inflammation, with reduced TNF-α (13.4%) and CRP (31.4%, p = 0.03).