Lactobacillus fermentum strains from human breast milk with probiotic properties and cholesterol-lowering effects

Abstract

The study aimed to identify two lactic acid bacteria from human breast milk and evaluate for their probiotic potential. Lactobacillus fermentum strains showed various degree of antibiotic susceptibility profile to clinical commercial antibiotics. The MA-7 and MA-8 strains have never lost their vitality at pH 2 and 3. Lactobacillus fermentum MA-8 exhibited more resistance to 0.3 and 1% bile concentrations than MA-7 strain. Both of the L. fermentum strains can tolerate the simulated gastric and intestinal juices. The strains showed high auto-aggregation percentages varied from 95 to 98%. Both isolates also exhibited gamma hemolytic activity. The cholesterol lowering activity of MA-7 and MA-8 strains was varied from 34.84 to 91.15%. The supernatants showed higher anti-cholesterol activity compared to pellets. The results demonstrated that both L. fermentum strains maybe good probiotic candidates and may have potential as health biotherapeutic with cholesterol-lowering effects.

Keywords: Acid and bile tolerance; Anti-cholesterol; Antibiotic susceptibility; Auto-aggregation; Transit tolerance.