## 5 Conclusions  
The current investigation revealed the potential of autochthonous _L. paracasei_ strains, isolated from anthills populated by red wood ants, to facilitate glucose consumption and restrict the lipolysis rate in mature adipocytes upon highly predisposing obesity factors. It was found that each strain, regardless of its genus affiliation, affects the metabolic processes in a particular manner. The P4 and M2.1 strains showed promising results in ameliorating the buffering capacity of 3T3-L1 cells. P4 CFS supplementation enhanced the insulin-dependent glucose inflow in 3T3-L1 and thus manifested a potential to counteract the onset of glucotoxicity and insulin resistance. The M2.1 supernatant seemed to stimulate insulin-independent glucose consumption by mature adipocytes without affecting the insulin signaling pathway, which might benefit the prediabetic state. In addition, the established modulation in energy storage pointed to a desired health impact of enhanced expandability in factors highly predisposing obesity. Concerning the effects of supernatants from the C8 and C15 strains, the 48 h application induced favorable changes in glucose and lipid utilization, similar to those in M2.1. The modulations of gene expression, however, indicated a possible metabolic deterioration and a decrease in the absorption capacity of nutrients during their long-term administration in mature adipocytes.  
The obtained results reveal that the P4 and M2.1 _L. paracasei_ strains provide a solid reason for further investigation and could emerge as a promising method to overcome obesity-related metabolic disorders. However, additional investigations and in vivo studies are required to add value to the reported effects.  
In conclusion, we believe that supernatants from the newly isolated _L. paracasei_ P4 and M2.1 strains could be implemented as potential additives in functional foods with antidiabetic properties, benefiting the health status of already obese individuals.  
**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, N.G., E.V. and G.B.; Methodology, N.G., G.B., E.V. and Z.I.; Software, N.G. and V.P.; Validation, E.V., Z.I. and G.B.; Formal Analysis, Z.I., N.G. and V.P.; Investigation, G.B., E.V. and Z.I.; Resources, G.B.; Data Curation, Z.I. and N.G.; Writing--Original Draft Preparation, N.G. and Z.I.; Writing--Review and Editing, G.B., E.V. and N.G.; Visualization, N.G. and Z.I.; Supervision, E.V. and G.B.; Project Administration, G.B.; Funding Acquisition, G.B. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research was funded by the \"Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science\" under the National Research Program \"Healthy Foods for Strong Bio-Economy and Quality of Life\", approved by DCM # 577/17.08.2018.  
**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.  
**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.  
**Data Availability Statement:** The datasets generated for this study are available to the corresponding author upon request.  
**Acknowledgments:** The authors acknowledge Sinite Kamani National Park for the administrative and technical support. Laboratory of experimental cellular physiology and therapeutic drug monitoring, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.  
**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.