International Journal of Molecular Sciences Article Strain-Specific Effects of Bifidobacterium longum on Hypercholesterolemic Rats and Potential Mechanisms Jinchi Jiang 1, Caie Wu 2, Chengcheng Zhang 1,3, Qingsong Zhang 1,3, Leilei Yu 1,3, Jianxin Zhao 1,3, Hao Zhang 1,3,4,5,6,7, Arjan Narbad 4,8, Wei Chen 1,3,5,9 and Qixiao Zhai 1,3,4,* 1 State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China;
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[email protected] (C.Z.);
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[email protected] (L.Y.);
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[email protected] (W.C.) 2 College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China;
[email protected] 3 School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China 4 International Joint Research Laboratory for Pharmabiotics & Antibiotic Resistance, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China;
[email protected] 5 National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China 6 Wuxi Translational Medicine Research Center and Jiangsu Translational Medicine Research Institute Wuxi Branch, Wuxi 214122, China 7 (Yangzhou) Institute of Food Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Yangzhou 225004, China 8 Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park Colney, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7UA, UK 9 Beijing Innovation Center of Food Nutrition and Human Health, Beijing Technology and Business University (BTBU), Beijing 100048, China * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +86-510-8591-2155 Citation: Jiang, J.; Wu, C.; Zhang, C.; Abstract: Hypercholesterolemia is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease, which is Zhang, Q.; Yu, L.; Zhao, J.; Zhang, H.; among the major causes of death worldwide.