Hepatoprotective Potential of Probiotic-Enriched Stirred Yoghurt Against Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in a Rat Model

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) represents the most prevalent chronic liver disorder worldwide, driven principally by excessive caloric intake, high-fat dietary patterns, and sedentary lifestyles. The condition is pathophysiologically characterized by hepatic lipid accumulation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and low-grade systemic inflammation, which may progress to steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and ultimately cirrhosis in the absence of timely intervention. Probiotic microorganisms have recently attracted considerable scientific attention as safe biotherapeutic agents capable of modulating gut microbiota, improving lipid metabolism, and attenuating hepatic inflammation through the gut–liver axis.

Aims: This study aimed to develop a cost-effective, food-based strategy for the prevention and early management of MASLD through the incorporation of a defined probiotic mixture into stirred yogurt, and to evaluate its hepatoprotective efficacy in an experimental rat model.

Material and Methods: Eleven dairy-origin probiotic strains were initially screened for acid and bile tolerance, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial potential, and technological suitability for yogurt production. Four strains — Lactobacillus rhamnosus, L. plantarum, L. acidophilus, and Bifidobacterium lactis — were selected on the basis of their superior performance profiles for the production of probiotic stirred yogurts, administered either as single-strain or multi-strain formulations. These yogurts were subsequently administered to rats maintained on a high-fat diet (HFD) to assess their preventive effects against MASLD development. Biochemical analyses encompassed the evaluation of serum lipid and metabolic profiles, including total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), fasting serum glucose (FSG), insulin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and albumin concentrations. Histopathological examination of hepatic tissues and assessment of intestinal microbiota were additionally performed to confirm hepatic protection and gut microbial modulation.

Results: The yogurt containing the multi-strain probiotic blend (T5) exhibited superior organoleptic properties and the most pronounced hepatoprotective effects among all tested formulations Administration of T5 markedly reduced serum total cholesterol (85.1 mg/dL), triglycerides (122.3 mg/dL), LDL (25.8 mg/dL), FSG (28.6 mg/dL), insulin (0.84 µIU/mL), and ALT (36.9 U/L), with values approaching those recorded in the healthy control group. Histopathological findings and microbiota analyses corroborated these biochemical improvements, confirming attenuation of hepatic steatosis and restoration of gut microbial balance

Conclusions: The multi-strain probiotic yoghurt formulation (T5) demonstrated robust hepatoprotective potential in HFD-fed rats, effectively ameliorating the lipid profile, glucose metabolism, liver enzyme activity, and body weight. Collectively, these findings highlight the considerable promise of multi-strain probiotic yogurt as a preventive and early-stage therapeutic functional food intervention for MASLD, offering an accessible, palatable and scientifically grounded functional food approach to liver health management in the context of metabolic disease.