Investigating the Effect of Suborbital Launch Conditions of the Biological Capsule on Probiotic Microorganisms

Document Type : Original Article(s)

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Air and Space Physiology Research Group, Aerospace Research Institute, Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, Tehran, Iran

2 Professor, Research Department of Food Technology Research, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background: According to the reports about the increasing antibiotic resistance and resistance to environmental stresses of microbes in outer space. This research investigates the potential effects of space conditions on the growth rate, survival, and stress resistance of probiotic bacteria native to Iran.
Methods: Probiotics of Lactobacillus (L.) acidophilus, Lactiplantibacillus (L.) plantarum, and Saccharomyces (S.) cerevisiae were launched and recovered in Iran's newest biological capsule named Kavos at a height of 1300 km from the sea level. Growth of microorganisms and resistance to osmotic, acid, and temperature shock, as well as antibiotic resistance, were measured and compared with controls.
Findings: The results showed that the launch stress increased the growth rate and decreased the lag phase duration in lactobacilli. The optimum growth temperature and tolerance against acid shock did not change in probiotics before and after launch. The osmotic shock tolerance in L. plantarum increased significantly in the samples after the launch, but in L. acidophilus and the yeast did not change. Except for the increase in L. acidophilus resistance to gentamicin and amoxicillin and L. plantarum to ampicillin and doxycycline in launch samples, no change was observed in other antibiotics.
Conclusion: The results showed that the probiotic strains are fast-growing and resistant to environmental. Therefore, probiotics consumption can be necessary several times more to maintain the health of space travelers than life on Earth. These probiotics are also recommended to improve the quality of human life on Earth.

Highlights

Maryam Salavatifar: Google Scholar, PubMed

Kianoush Khosravi-Darani: Google Scholar, PubMed

Keywords

Main Subjects


  1. Iwase S, Nishimura N, Tanaka K, Mano T. Effects of microgravity on human physiology. Beyond LEO-Human Health Issues for Deep Space Exploration. 2020. Available from: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/70679
  2. Winkler LH. Human physiological limitations to long-term spaceflight and living in space. Aerosp Med Hum Perform 2023; 94(6): 444-56.
  3. Bharindwal S, Goswami N, Jha P, Pandey S, Jobby R. Prospective use of probiotics to maintain astronaut health during spaceflight. Life (Basel) 2023; 13(3): 727.
  4. Voorhies AA, Mark Ott C, Mehta S, Pierson DL, Crucian BE, Feiveson A, et al. Study of the impact of long-duration space missions at the International Space Station on the astronaut microbiome. Sci Rep 2019; 9(1): 9911.
  5. Tesei D, Jewczynko A, Lynch AM, Urbaniak C. Understanding the complexities and changes of the astronaut microbiome for successful long-duration space missions. Life (Basel) 2022; 12(4): 495.
  6. Tozzo P, Delicati A, Caenazzo L. Skin microbial changes during space flights: A systematic review. Life (Basel) 2022; 12(10): 1498.
  7. Basirun C, Ferlazzo ML, Howell NR, Liu G-J, Middleton RJ, Martinac B, et al. Microgravity× radiation: a space mechanobiology approach toward cardiovascular function and disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9: 750775.
  8. Sakai T, Moteki Y, Takahashi T, Shida K, Kiwaki M, Shimakawa Y, et al. Probiotics into outer space: feasibility assessments of encapsulated freeze-dried probiotics during 1 month’s storage on the International Space Station. Sci Rep 2018; 8(1): 10687.
  9. Ulluwishewa D, Anderson RC, McNabb WC, Moughan PJ, Wells JM, Roy NC. Regulation of tight junction permeability by intestinal bacteria and dietary components. J Nutr 2011; 141(5): 769-76.
  10. Salavatifar M, Ahmadi SM, Todorov SD, Khosravi-Darani K, Tripathy A. Impact of Microgravity on virulence, antibiotic resistance and gene expression in beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms. Mini Rev Med Chem 2023; 23(16): 1608-22.
  11. Salavatifar M, Khosravi‐Darani K. Investigation of the simulated microgravity impact on heavy metal biosorption by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Food Science & Nutrition 2024; 12(5): 3642-52.
  12. Afsharian Z, Salavatifar M, Khosravi_Darani K. Impact of simulated microgravity on bioremoval of heavy-metals by Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 from water. Heliyon 2022; 8(12): e12307.
  13. Hoque M, Akter F, Hossain K, Rahman M, Billah M, Islam K. Isolation, identification and analysis of probiotic properties of Lactobacillus spp. from selective regional yoghurts. World Journal of Dairy & Food Sciences 2010; 5(1): 39-46.
  14. Huang B, Li D-G, Huang Y, Liu C-T. Effects of spaceflight and simulated microgravity on microbial growth and secondary metabolism. Military Med Res 2018; 5(1): 1-14.
  15. van Mulders SE, Stassen C, Daenen L, Devreese B, Siewers V, van Eijsden RGE, et al. The influence of microgravity on invasive growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Astrobiology 2011; 11(1): 45-55.
  16. Baker PW, Meyer ML, Leff LG. Escherichia coli growth under modeled reduced gravity. Microgravity Sci Technol 2004; 15(4): 39-44.
  17. Kim W, Tengra FK, Shong J, Marchand N, Chan HK, Young Z, et al. Effect of spaceflight on Pseudomonas aeruginosa final cell density is modulated by nutrient and oxygen availability. BMC Microbiol 2013; 13: 241.
  18. Dzairi FZ, Zeroual Y, Moutaouakkil A, Taoufik J, Talbi M, Loutfi M, et al. Bacterial volatilization of mercury by immobilized bacteria in fixed and fluidized bed bioreactors. Annals of Microbiology 2004; 54(4): 353-64.
  19. Senatore G, Mastroleo F, Leys N, Mauriello G. Effect of microgravity & space radiation on microbes. Future Microbiol 2018; 13: 831-47.
  20. Shao D, Yao L, Riaz MS, Zhu J, Shi J, Jin M, et al. Simulated microgravity affects some biological characteristics of Lactobacillus acidophilus. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2017; 101(8): 3439-49.
  21. Mora M, Perras A, Alekhova TA, Wink L, Krause R, Aleksandrova A, et al. Resilient microorganisms in dust samples of the International Space Station—survival of the adaptation specialists. Microbiome 2016; 4(1): 65.
  22. Taylor PW. Impact of space flight on bacterial virulence and antibiotic susceptibility. Infect Drug Resist 2015; 8: 249-62.