Sistematični pregled raziskav o liofilizaciji laktobacilov in preizkus uporabnosti velikega jezikovnega modela pri zbiranju in vrednotenju podatkov

Šuštarič, Tinara (author), Zupančič, Špela (mentor), Locatelli, Igor (comentor)

Probiotične bakterije, predvsem laktobacili, imajo ključno vlogo pri vzdrževanju ravnovesja črevesne mikrobiote in se uporabljajo tako v zdravilih za različne terapevtske namene kot tudi v prehranskih dopolnilih in živilih. Za zagotovitev njihove učinkovitosti in stabilnosti med shranjevanjem se pogosto uporablja postopek liofilizacije. Naloga se osredotoča na sistematični pregled znanstvenih raziskav, ki obravnavajo liofilizacijo laktobacilov, in vključuje analizo možnosti uporabe orodij umetne inteligence (angl. artificial intelligence, AI) v raziskovalnem procesu. Izvedli smo sistematični pregled raziskav zajetih v podatkovni bazi PubMed do 23. 10. 2024. Za ekstrakcijo podatkov smo poleg klasičnega ročnega pregleda uporabili tudi veliki jezikovni model (angl. large language model, LLM), s pomočjo katerega smo analizirali metodološke vidike raziskav. V ta namen smo oblikovali strukturirane pozive, ki so omogočili strukturirano zbiranje podatkov o bakterijskih sevih, liofilizacijskih parametrih, uporabljenih zaščitnih snoveh, mikroenkapsulaciji ter pogojih shranjevanja. Izmed 566 zadetkov smo izbrali 272 ustreznih raziskav. Večina raziskav je preučevala posamezne seve, pri čemer so prevladovale vrste Lactobacillus plantarum, L. acidophilus in L. casei. Analiza parametrov liofilizacije je pokazala, da se je za zamrzovanje najpogosteje uporabljala temperatura –80 °C, medtem ko je se primarno sušenje najpogosteje izvajalo pri –50 °C. Temperatura sekundarnega sušenja se je običajno gibala med 20 in 25 °C, dolžina liofilizacijskega cikla pa je največkrat trajala od 24 do 48 ur. Najpogosteje uporabljena stabilizatorja sta bila saharoza in trehaloza, pogosto pa so bile uporabljene tudi proteinske snovi, kot je posneto mleko. Mikroenkapsulacija je bila uporabljena kot dodatni korak v formulaciji, pri čemer so prevladovali materiali, kot sta alginat in sirotkine beljakovine, najpogostejši tip formulacije pa so bile mikrokapsule. Shranjevanje probiotikov se je najpogosteje izvajalo pri 4 °C za obdobje od enega do šestih mesecev. Rezultati so pokazali, da je uporaba AI v raziskovalnem procesu že danes uporabna podpora, zlasti za sistematično analizo večjega števila virov.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: probiotiki, laktobacili, liofilizacija, sistematični pregled, veliki jezikovni model
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FFA - Faculty of Pharmacy
• Year: 2025
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-169382
• Publication date in RUL: 27.05.2025

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: A systematic review of lactobacilli lyophilization research and an evaluation of the applicability of the large language model for data collection and assessment

Abstract

Probiotic bacteria, particularly lactobacilli, play a key role in maintaining the balance of the gut microbiota and are used both in medicinal products for various therapeutic purposes and in dietary supplements and foods. To ensure their efficacy and stability during storage, freeze-drying is commonly employed. The thesis focuses on a systematic review of scientific studies addressing the freeze-drying of lactobacilli and includes an analysis of the potential application of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the research process. A systematic review of studies indexed in the PubMed database up to October 23, 2024, was conducted. In addition to the traditional manual review, a large language model (LLM) was used for data extraction, enabling the analysis of methodological aspects of the studies. Structured prompts were designed to systematically collect data on bacterial strains, freeze-drying parameters, protective substances used, microencapsulation, and storage conditions. Out of 566 initial results, 272 relevant studies were selected. Most studies focused on individual strains, with Lactobacillus plantarum, L. acidophilus, and L. casei being the most frequently investigated species. The analysis of freeze-drying parameters showed that freezing was most often performed at –80 °C, while primary drying typically took place at –50 °C. The secondary drying temperature generally ranged between 20 and 25 °C, and the freeze-drying cycle most frequently lasted between 24 and 48 hours. The most often stabilizers used were sucrose and trehalose, with protein-based materials such as skimmed milk also frequently employed. Microencapsulation was used as an additional formulation step, with alginate and whey proteins being the predominant materials, and microcapsules the most common formulation type. Storage of probiotics was mostly performed at 4 °C for periods ranging from one to six months. The results demonstrated that AI already serves as a valuable support tool in the research process, particularly for the systematic analysis of a large number of sources.

• Keywords: probiotics, lactobacilli, lyophilization, systematic review, large language model