A strain of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei EM205-11 is described. The strain has an unusually broad catabolic activity including for prebiotics not normally utilized by commensal lactobacilli (Fig. 13) and is therefore suitable for inclusion in a synbiotic combination. The strain has also been found to adhere to but did not invade intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), which is an important probiotic trait (Fig. 1), and also demonstrates anti-inflammatory activity.