Gorse (Ulex europeaus) wastes with 5,6-dimethyl benzimidazole supplementation can support growth of vitamin B12 producing commensal gut microbes

Many commensal gut microbes are recognized for their potential to synthesize vitamin B12, offering a promising avenue to address deficiencies through probiotic supplementation. While bioinformatics tools aid in predicting B12 biosynthetic potential, empirical validation remains crucial to confirm production, identify cobalamin vitamers, and establish biosynthetic yields. This study investigates vitamin B12 production in three human colonic bacterial species: Anaerobu-tyricum hallii DSM 3353, Roseburia faecis DSM 16840, and Anaerostipes caccae DSM 14662, along with Propionibacterium freudenreichii DSM 4902 as a positive control. These strains were selected for their potential use as probiotics, based on speculated B12 production from prior bioinformatic analyses. Cultures were grown in M2GSC, chemically defined media (CDM), and Gorse extract medium (GEM). The composition of GEM was similar to CDM, expect that the carbon and nitrogen source was replaced with protein-depleted liquid wastes obtained after subjecting Gorse to a leaf protein extraction process. B12 yields were quantified using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrophotometry. The results suggest that the three butyrate-producing strains could indeed produce B12, although the yields were notably low, and with no B12 being detected in the extracellular media. Next, GEM outperformed the conventional M2GSC growth medium in enhancing B12 production. The positive control, P. freudenreichii DSM 4902 produced B12 at concentrations ranging from 7 ng{middle dot}mL-1 to 12 ng{middle dot}mL-1. Univariate-scaled Principal Component Analysis of data from previous publications investigating B12 production in P. freudenreichii revealed that B12 yields diminished when the carbon source concentration was[≤] 30 g{middle dot}L-1. In conclusion, the protein-depleted wastes from the leaf protein extraction process from Gorse can be valorised as a viable substrate for culturing B12-producing colonic gut microbes. Furthermore, this is the first report attesting to the ability of A. hallii, R. faecis, and A. caccae to produce B12. However, these microbes seem unsuitable for industrial applications owing to low B12 yields.