Evaluation of purine-nucleoside degrading ability and in vivo uric acid lowering of Streptococcus thermophilus (ID-PDP3), a novel antiuricemia strain

Abstract This study evaluated 15 lactic acid bacteria in terms of their ability to degrade inosine and hypoxanthine—which are the intermediates in purine metabolism—for the management of hyperuricemia and gout. After a preliminary screening based on HPLC, CR1 ( Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ) and GZ1 ( Lactiplantibacillus pentosus ) showed the highest nucleoside degrading rates and were therefore selected for further characterization. IDCC 2201 ( S. thermophilus ), which possessed the hpt gene encoding hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) and exhibited purine degradation, was also selected. These three selected strains were examined in terms of the effect of probiotics on lowering serum uric acid in a rat model of potassium oxonate (PO)-induced hyperuricemia. Among them, the level of serum uric acid was most reduced by IDCC 2201 (p < 0.05). Further, analysis of the microbiome showed that administration of IDCC 2201 recovered the ratio of Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes in the intestinal microbial composition unbalanced by hyperuricemia and showed a difference in the intestinal microbial composition compared to the group administered with allopurinol. Moreover, intestinal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were significantly increased. Ultimately, the findings show that IDCC 2201 lowers uric acid levels by degrading purine-nucleosides and restores intestinal flora and SCFAs, ultimately suggesting that IDCC 2201 is a promising candidate for use as an adjuvant treatment in patients with hyperuricemia.