PurposePrevious reports showed that some probiotics provide beneficial effects on various diseases including metabolic disorders. This study aimed to investigate the anti-obesity effects ofLactiplantibacillus(L.)plantarumSKO-001 (SKO-001), a probiotic strain newly isolated fromAngelica gigas.MethodsC57BL/6J mice were fed with high-fat diet (HFD, 60% fat) for four weeks, and then different doses of SKO-001 (n= 10 each group) were orally given for 12 weeks. Following treatment, body weight, fat weight, serum parameters and adipose and liver tissues were analyzed.ResultsSKO-001 (2 × 1010CFU/day,per os) reduced body weight gain after 10th week of administration, accompanied by a reduction in body fat mass of mice. In the SKO-001-fed group, increased serum adiponectin, decreased leptin, insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, free fatty acids, and triglyceride levels were observed. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of various fat depots showed that increased adipocyte size caused by HFD intake was markedly reduced and correlated with reduced mRNA levels of lipogenesis genes, including sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha, and increased uncoupling protein 1 levels. Similarly, SKO-001 reduced lipid accumulation, decreased the mRNA levels of lipogenic genes, and reduced α-smooth muscle actin and collagen type 1 alpha 1 levels in the liver.ConclusionsSKO-001 ameliorates obesity and related metabolic abnormalities in adipose and liver tissues, possibly via the regulation of lipid metabolism. Based on the results of the present study, SKO-001 may be applicable as an anti-obesity therapeutic or functional food.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00394-023-03096-x.