Journal of Future Foods · Aug 2026

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BFS1243 alleviates sarcopenic microbiota-induced muscle dysfunction by modulating gut microbial networks and SCFA metabolism in humanized mice

By Dong S, He W, Zeng Q et al.

Given the accumulating evidence linking gut microbiota to sarcopenia, human-to-mouse fecal microbiota transplantation provides a useful model for investigating sarcopenic microbiota-associated muscle dysfunction and evaluating microbiota-targeted interventions. This study employed a humanized fecal microbiota transplantation model to evaluate the therapeutic potential of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BFS1243 in mice colonized with fecal microbiota from sarcopenic older men. Compared with mice receiving fecal microbiota from healthy older men (HM group), mice colonized with sarcopenic microbiota (SM group) exhibited reduced muscle mass index, decreased muscle fiber cross-sectional area, impaired grip strength, and lower physical endurance. Administration of L. plantarum BFS1243 alleviated these muscle deficits and reduced systemic inflammation, as indicated by decreased serum TNF-α and PGE2 levels and restored irisin levels in SM mice. Further analyses showed that BFS1243 did not induce a global shift in gut microbiota diversity but modulated selected microbial taxa and reorganized microbial co-occurrence networks, characterized by a shift from an Eisenbergiella -centered network toward a Blautia -centered architecture. These microbial changes were accompanied by selective alterations in microbial metabolic outputs, particularly increased total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), elevated propionylcarnitine, and modest changes in tryptophan-related metabolites, including 5-hydroxytryptamine and nicotinic acid. In parallel, BFS1243 administration was associated with attenuated colonic TLR4/NF-κB signaling, a trend toward improved tight-junction protein expression, and reduced systemic inflammation. Overall, these findings suggest that L. plantarum BFS1243 ameliorates sarcopenic microbiota-induced muscle dysfunction, at least in part, by modulating microbial ecological networks and SCFA-related metabolic outputs. This study supports BFS1243 as a potential probiotic candidate for microbiota-targeted management of sarcopenia.

doi.org/10.1016/j.jfutfo.2026.08.014 Open access Interventions