Latilactobacillus curvatus IM01 Alleviates Allergic Airway Inflammation Through Microbial and Metabolic Crosstalk Along the Gut–Lung Axis

Abstract

Background: Gut microbiota dysbiosis is critically implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic airway inflammation (AAI) via the gut–lung axis. While Latilactobacillus curvatus is a promising probiotic candidate, its specific immunomodulatory mechanisms in respiratory diseases remain poorly understood. Objective: In this study, we investigated the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of L. curvatus IM01 in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced murine AAI model using an integrated multi-omics approach. Results: Our results demonstrated that oral administration of L. curvatus IM01 significantly attenuated airway inflammation, suppressed Th2-type immune responses, and reduced serum IgE levels. Crucially, our multi-omics integration revealed a coherent gut–lung axis narrative driven by microbial and metabolic crosstalk. Specifically, 16S rRNA sequencing indicated that L. curvatus IM01 was closely linked to structural shifts in the gut microbial community, notably characterized by an enrichment trend for beneficial genera such as Odoribacter and Lactobacillus. This microbial restructuring was closely associated with a modulated cecal metabolic profile, as untargeted metabolomics exhibited a clear trend toward the restoration of key systemically active immunoregulatory metabolites, including indolelactic acid (ILA) and choline, which have been previously linked to the alleviation of AAI symptoms. Further linking this metabolic shift to respiratory immune tolerance, lung transcriptomic analysis showed that the treatment is strongly associated with the promotion of the differentiation of CD4+ T cells into Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). Conclusions: Collectively, these findings suggest a novel potential pathway by which L. curvatus IM01 modulates the gut–lung axis through coordinated microbial and metabolic interventions, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic functional food ingredient for AAI.

Key findings

• ▸Oral administration of L. curvatus IM01 attenuated airway inflammation and reduced serum IgE levels
• ▸L. curvatus IM01 induced structural shifts in the gut microbial community, enriching beneficial genera such as Odoribacter and Lactobacillus
• ▸The microbial restructuring was associated with a modulated cecal metabolic profile, as exhibited by untargeted metabolomics

Keywords

Identifiers

DOI

10.3390/nu18050834

Journal

Nutrients

Year

2026