Work

Postbiotics as a functional supplement to develop cell culture media for cultivated meat production

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The development of sustainable, cost-effective, and animal-free culture media remains a critical challenge in the large-scale commercialization of cultivated meat. Fetal bovine serum (FBS), the most widely used supplement in cell culture, presents ethical concerns and significantly increases production costs. In this study, we investigated postbiotic compounds-specifically microbial biomass lysates and cell-free supernatants from Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Bacillus subtilis , and Saccharomyces boulardii as potential alternatives to FBS for supporting the growth and differentiation of bovine satellite cells (BSCs). Metabolomic profiling (GC–MS and LC-MS/MS) revealed that L. rhamnosus biomass lysates were enriched in growth-promoting metabolites including 5-aminolevulinic acid, cis-4-hydroxy-D-proline, and trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline. Notably, treatments with low concentrations (5 μg/mL) of L. rhamnosus lysate significantly enhanced BSC proliferation and facilitated myotube formation, confirming its functional efficacy. Conversely elevated levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in postbiotic preparations correlated with reduced cell proliferation, likely due to SCFA-induced apoptotic effects in immortalized cells. Spearman correlation analysis also revealed a strong inverse association between total SCFA content of postbiotics and BSC viability, highlighting composition-dependent functional effects. These findings provide mechanistic insight into the bioactivity of postbiotic-derived metabolites and establish a foundation for serum-free, scalable media formulations in cellular agriculture and cultivated meat production. Schematic overview of metabolite production and downstream utilization as supplements for cell culture media. • Lacticaseibacillus postbiotics promoted bovine satellite cell proliferation. • 5-ALA and hydroxy-proline derivatives enhanced myogenic differentiation. • SCFA-rich postbiotics reduced viability via apoptosis-like responses. • Postbiotics offer sustainable serum-free media for cultivated meat.

Source: Food Research International

DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2025.118251

Authors: Babak Pakbin, Arian Amirvaresi, Suresh Pillai, Reza Ovissipour

Institution: Texas A&M University

Language: English

Topic: Probiotics and Fermented Foods

Subfield: Food Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,320