Both live and heat killed Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DPUL-F232 alleviate whey protein-induced food allergy by regulating cellular immunity and repairing the intestinal barrier.

Postbiotics have been proposed as clinically viable alternatives to probiotics, addressing limitations and safety concerns associated with probiotic use. However, direct comparisons between the functional differences and health benefits of probiotics and postbiotics remain scarce. This study compared directly the desensitization effect of probiotics and postbiotics derived from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strain DPUL-F232 in the whey protein-induced allergic rat model. The results demonstrate that administering both live and heat killed F232 significantly alleviated allergy symptoms, reduced intestinal inflammation, and decreased serum antibody and histamine levels in rats. Both forms of F232 were effective in regulating the Th1/Th2 balance, promoting the secretion of the regulatory cytokine IL-10, inhibiting mast cell degranulation and restoring the integrity of the intestinal barrier through the upregulation of tight junction proteins. Considering the enhanced stability and reduced safety concerns of postbiotics compared to probiotics, alongside their ability to regulate allergic reactions, we suggest that postbiotics may serve as viable substitutes for probiotics in managing food allergies and potentially other diseases.