Bacteroides ovatus ELH-B2 is considered as a potential next-generation probiotic due to its preventive effects on lipopolysaccharides-associated inflammation and intestinal microbiota disorders in mice. To study safety issues associated with B. ovatus ELH-B2, we conducted comprehensive and systematic experiments, including in vitro genetic assessments of potential virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes, and an in vivo acute toxicity study of both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed mice via cyclophosphamide treatment. The results indicated that this novel strain is non-toxigenic, fragilysin is not expressed, and most of potential virulence genes are correlated with cellular structures such as capsular polysaccharide and polysaccharide utilizations. The antibiotic resistance features are unlikely be transferred to other intestinal microorganisms as no plasmids nor related genomic islands were identified. Side effects were not observed in mice. B. ovatus ELH-B2 also alleviated the damages caused by cyclophosphamide injection.
Keywords: Bacteroides ovatus; antibiotic resistance; next-generation probiotics; safety evaluation; virulence genes.