INTRODUCTION Propionibacterium freudenreichii is an emergent probiotic bacterium, belonging to dairy propionibacteria, within the group of Actinomycetales, and possessing the GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe, USA, FDA) and QPS (Qualified Presumption of Safety, EFSA, European Union) status. It is a traditional Swiss-type cheeses starter and an emergent probiotic, exerting several beneficial effects, including anti-inflammatory modulation of gut inflammation. This feature relies on several metabolites and on surface proteins including in particular the surface protein SlpB. METHOD In the present study, we assessed first the impact of proteolytic degradation of SlpB on its immunomodulatory effect on colon epithelial HT-29 cells. Intact P. freudenreichii cells, purified surface layer proteins (SLPs), as well as trypsin-proteolyzed SLPs, were used to stimulate HT-29 cells, in the presence or absence of pro-inflamatory LPS. Cytokines were then quantified to evaluate the inflammatory response. We then investigated the potential of cheese matrix as a delivery vehicle of anti-inflammatory P. freudenreichii MAMP to the colon, by comparing dairy liquids matrices to a solid Swiss-type cheese matrix, using two in vitro digestion models. Integrity of SlpB was monitored using western blotting. RESULTS In this study, we firstly investigated the relevance to avoid SlpB digestive proteolysis, by comparing the effect of i) P. freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129, ii) its native SLPs, or iii) peptides resulting from SLPs stimulations, with respect to modulation of HT-29 cells response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. The anti-inflammatory effect exerted by P. freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129 and by native surface proteins (SLPs) on HT-29 cells was abolished by digestive proteolysis. This result confirmed the importance to protect immunomodulatory surface proteins from digestive proteolysis in order to allow gut immune system modulation. Thus, we examined the effect of dairy matrices on P. freudenreichii viability and on SlpB integrity during digestion. In comparison with liquid matrices, the cheese matrix provided an enhanced tolerance to digestive stresses and protection of SlpB towards proteolysis, during two in vitro digestion models: static and dynamic. CONCLUSION These in vitro results provide new insights into the matrix effect on P. freudenreichii probiotic functionalities. The cheese matrix offers significant protection against the digestion stresses by enhancing survival, and by protecting surface layer proteins from proteolysis. However, in vivo investigations are necessary to study the matrix effect during digestion, to follow SLPs expression and to evaluate the matrix effect on immunomodulation by P. freudenreichii within the gut. Such data accordingly will allow the development of new functional foods for the delivery of P. freudenreichii to the gastrointestinal tract of humans in the aim to help prevention or treatment of life-style related diseases with an inflammatory component.