A human intervention in 24 healthy volunteers was performed to test the potential health benefits of a fermented
salami with a probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and added citrus fiber. Anthropometric measurements
and blood biochemistry did not show any significant differences between pre- and post-intervention during
4 weeks with a daily intake of 30 g of salami, neither with regular salami (control group) nor with reformulated
salami (intervention group). However, the inflammatory markers CRP and TNFα decreased significantly after
intervention, suggesting a less inflammatory environment after reformulated salami consumption. Antioxidant
plasmatic markers also improved within the intervention group. Butyrate production was significantly increased
after reformulated salami consumption. Gut microbiota community structure, however, was not significantly
shaped by neither regular nor reformulated salami. After the intervention with probiotic salami, L. rhamnosus
was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in all samples of the intervention group but not
in the control group, showing probiotic effect.This trial was supported by project AVANZA-S from the Spanish
Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI). It was also
supported by a Spanish predoctoral fellowship F.P.U. (ref.: FPU14/
01192) for S. Perez-Burillo from the Spanish Governmen