Probiotic potential and safety assessment of type strains of Weissella and Periweissella species

Although numerous strains belonging to the Weissella genus have been described in the last decades for their probiotic and biotechnological potential, others are known to be opportunistic pathogens of humans and animals. Here, we investigated the probiotic potential of two Weissella and four Periweissella type strains belonging to the species Weissella diestrammenae, Weissella uvarum, Periweissella beninensis, Periweissella fabalis, Periweissella fabaria, and Periweissella ghanensis by genomic and phenotypic analyses, and performed a safety assessment of these strains. Based on the results of the survival to simulated gastrointestinal transit, autoaggregation and hydrophobicity characteristics, as well as adhesion to Caco-2 cells, we showed that the P. beninensis, P. fabalis, P. fabaria, P. ghanensis, and W. uvarum type strains exhibited a high probiotic potential. The safety assessment, based on the genomic analysis, performed by searching for virulence and antibiotic resistance genes, as well as on the phenotypic evaluation, by testing hemolytic activity and antibiotic susceptibility, allowed us to identify the P. beninensis type strain as a safe potential probiotic microorganism.