Title
Comprehensive genomic assessment of available probiotics in India: A framework for safety and functionality evaluation
Authors
Swati Shrivastava1, Nidhi Sharma2, Abhishek Sharma1 & Shubhi Gupta1,*
Affiliation
1Department of Biochemistry, Government Medical College, Datia, Madhya Pradesh, India; 2Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Datia, Madhya Pradesh, India; *Corresponding author
Swati Shrivastava - E-mail: swatishrivastava574@gmail.com
Abhishek Sharma - E-mail: drabhisheksharma1982@gmail.com
Nidhi Sharma - E-mail: drnidz@gmail.com
Shubhi Gupta - E-mail: gshubhi73@gmail.com
Article Type
Research Article
Date
Received May 1, 2025; Revised May 31, 2025; Accepted May 31, 2025, Published May 31, 2025
Abstract
Probiotic strains, defined as live microorganisms that confer health benefits to the host when administered in adequate amounts, are widely incorporated into commercial products. Therefore, assessing the safety and functional attributes of 20 commercially available probiotic strains using complete genome sequencing is of immediate importance. Our analysis revealed that 15% of the products were mislabeled, containing species different from those declared on the label. Further, 12% of the tested strains harbored transferable antimicrobial resistance genes. However, 8% Bacillus species contained virulence-associated genes. Nonetheless probiotic-related genes linked to acid and bile tolerance were consistently found in Lactobacillus strains. These findings underscore the urgent need for standardized genomic safety assessments prior to the market approval of probiotic products.
Keywords
Probiotics; whole genome sequencing; safety assessment; antimicrobial resistance; genomic analysis; functional properties
Citation
Shrivastava et al. Bioinformation 21(5): 1163-1168 (2025)
Edited by
Vini Mehta
ISSN
0973-2063
Publisher
License
This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
