Hypolipidemic activity of Limosilactobacillus fermentum SHY0004 from Miao sour soup

Background Probiotics have been demonstrated to regulate metabolic homeostasis through multiple mechanisms. Miao sour soup, a traditional fermented food from Guizhou Province, contains diverse beneficial microorganisms with potential physiological activities; however, its hypolipidemic function has not yet been fully explored. This study aims to isolate and identify edible lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with defined hypolipidemic activity from Miao sour soup, providing new microbial resources for the development of functional probiotics. Results A lactic acid bacterium consistent with the List of Edible Microorganisms was isolated and purified from Miao sour soup and identified as Limosilactobacillus fermentum SHY0004. Functional evaluation showed that this strain exhibited feruloyl esterase activity and demonstrated significant hypolipidemic effects in both the high-fat–induced HepG2 cell model and the high-fat zebrafish model. In the high-fat diet (HFD) mice experiment, SHY0004 effectively regulated total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels in serum and liver, resulting in a clear lipid-lowering effect. Conclusions SHY0004 demonstrates hypolipidemic activity across multiple experimental models, providing experimental evidence for the functional potential of Miao sour soup. This strain shows promising application prospects for the development of functional foods or nutraceuticals aimed at preventing or managing hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, and obesity-related metabolic disorders.