Probiotic potential of ginseng derived Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus strains with hypocholesterolemic, antioxidant and antibacterial activities.

Cardiovascular diseases remain one of the leading causes of mortality among adults worldwide, with elevated blood lipid levels serving as a key modifiable risk factor. This study aimed to investigate the probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from ginseng sprouts (Panax ginseng Meyer) cultivated under smart-farming conditions, with a particular emphasis on their cholesterol-lowering properties. Out of 485 isolates, five strains of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus were selected based on superior in vitro performance and identified through 16 S rRNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The selected strains demonstrated high tolerance to simulated gastrointestinal conditions (pH 3.0, 0.3% bile salts), with survival rates ranging from 98 to 99%. In addition, they exhibited robust antibacterial activity, notable antioxidant capacity and antibiotic susceptibility to erythromycin and clindamycin, while showed resistance to tetracycline and vancomycin. The selected bacterial strains reduced cholesterol levels by 30% as compared to the reference strain Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG. Moreover, the formation of white precipitates around the bacterial colonies grown on media supplemented with 0.5% (w/v) TDCA and 0.37 g/L CaCl₂ indicated elevated bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity, corroborated by increased taurine release (15 mg/mL). Collectively, these findings highlight the safety and functional efficacy of the selected L. rhamnosus strains, supporting their potential application in cholesterol management as next-generation probiotics.