BR3LP3 supplementation attenuates hepatic lipid accumulation and the expression of hepatic lipogenesis-related markers while improving adiposity and systemic metabolic parameters, suggesting it is a promising probiotic dietary strategy for improving hepatic steatosis and related metabolic dysfunction.
The combination of Bifidobacterium breve BR3 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP3 (BR3LP3) reduced oleic acid-induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells without exhibiting cytotoxicity.
Oral BR3LP3 supplementation in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed obese mice reduced body weight, fat mass, liver weight, and epididymal adipose tissue weight.
BR3LP3 supplementation improved several serum lipid, liver injury-related, and metabolic hormone parameters in HFD-fed mice.
Histological analysis revealed reduced hepatic lipid droplet accumulation in BR3LP3-supplemented mice compared to HFD-only mice.
BR3LP3 supplementation downregulated the hepatic expression of five key lipogenesis-related genes: Srebp1c, Pparγ, Cebpα, Acc, and Fas.
This research suggests that a combination of two probiotic bacteria — Bifidobacterium breve BR3 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP3 (together called BR3LP3) — can reduce fat buildup in liver cells. The researchers tested this in two ways: first in human liver cells exposed to fatty acids in a lab setting, and then in mice fed a high-fat diet to simulate obesity. In both cases, BR3LP3 reduced the accumulation of fat in liver cells without causing harm to the cells themselves. In the mouse experiments, animals given BR3LP3 as a dietary supplement had lower body weight, less fat tissue, lighter livers, and better blood markers for cholesterol, liver health, and metabolic hormones compared to mice on a high-fat diet alone — even though both groups ate similar amounts of food. Looking at liver tissue under a microscope, the BR3LP3-treated mice had noticeably fewer fat droplets in their liver cells. The researchers also found that BR3LP3 lowered the activity of five key genes involved in the process by which the liver makes fat (lipogenesis), including SREBP-1c, PPARγ, C/EBPα, ACC, and FAS. This research suggests that taking these two probiotic strains together could be a safe, dietary-based approach to reducing early-stage fatty liver disease (hepatic steatosis) and related metabolic problems like obesity. Because fatty liver disease affects a large and growing proportion of the global population and has limited pharmaceutical treatments, findings like these point toward potential probiotic strategies worth investigating further in human clinical trials.
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Upload Your LabsYeo Y, Kim J, Chung Y, Kong G, Yun M, Lim S. (2026). Bifidobacterium breve CBT BR3 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CBT LP3 Alleviate Hepatic Steatosis by Suppressing Hepatic Lipogenesis and Improving Metabolic Hormone Profiles In Vitro and In Vivo.. Journal of microbiology and biotechnology. https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.2604.04074