Symbiotic influence of endophytic Bacillus pumilus on growth promotion and probiotic potential of the medicinal plant Ocimum sanctum

Bacillus pumilus was isolated from surface-sterilized tissues of the medicinal plant Ocimum sanctum. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) imaging confirmed the presence of a rod shaped bacterium within the plant tissues. The bacterium was identified as B. pumilus by biochemical analyses and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In vitro analyses indicate that the isolated strain of B. pumilus was endowed with multiple plant growth promotion (PGP) traits such as phosphate solubilization and the production of indole acetic acid (IAA), siderophore and hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Phosphate solubilization (37.3 μg ml^?1) and IAA production (36.7 μg ml^?1) by the isolate was found to reach a maximum after 60 h of incubation. Siderophore mediated iron sequestration by B. pumilus may confer a competitive advantage to the host with respect to pathogen inhibition. Siderophore produced by the isolate was found to be of a trihydroxamate type with hexadentate nature. The B. pumilus isolate also exhibited cellulolytic, proteolytic and chitinolytic activity. Cell free supernatant, culture filtrates of the isolate were found to suppress the growth of fungal phytopathogens. The culture filtrate retained its antifungal activity even after exposure to heat. In addition to PGP, the isolate exhibited probiotic properties such as acid tolerance (pH2), bile salt tolerance (2 %), auto-aggregation, antibiotic resistance and the absence of haemolytic activity. These finding suggest the possibility of utilizing this endophytic strain of B. pumilus as a bioinoculant to enhance plant growth and also as a probiotic.     

Semi-industrial Scale Production of a New Yeast with Probiotic Traits, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptococcus</Emphasis> sp. YMHS,Isolated from the Red Sea

A new yeast strain with promising probiotic traits was isolated from the Red Sea water samples. The isolate (YMHS) was subjected to genetic characterization and identified as Cryptococcus sp. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the rRNA gene internal transcribed spacer regions showed 95% sequence similarity between the isolate and Cryptococcus albidus. Cryptococcus sp. YMHS exhibited desirable characteristics of probiotic microorganisms; it has tolerance to low pH in simulated gastric juice, resistance to bile salts, hydrophobic characteristics, broad antimicrobial activity, and in vitro ability to degrade cholesterol. The isolate grew well in a semi-defined medium composed of yeast extract, glucose, KH₂PO₄, (NH₄)₂SO₄, and MgSO₄, yielding cell mass of 2.32 and 5.82 g/l in shake flask and in bioreactor cultures, respectively. Fed-batch cultivation, with controlled pH, increased the biomass gradually in culture, reaching 28.5 g/l after 32 h cultivation. Beside the feasible use as a probiotic, the new strain also could be beneficial in the development of functional foods or novel food preservatives. To our knowledge, this is the first report of yeast with probiotic properties isolated from the Red Sea.     

In Vitro Evaluation of the Probiotic and Safety Properties of Bacteriocinogenic and Non-Bacteriocinogenic Lactic Acid Bacteria from the Intestines of Nile Tilapia and Common Carp for Their Use as Probiotics in Aquaculture

In this study, seven bacteriocinogenic and non-bacteriocinogenic LAB strains previously isolated from the intestines of Nile tilapia and common carp and that showed potent antibacterial activity against host-derived and non-host-derived fish pathogens were assayed for their probiotic and safety properties so as to select promising candidates for in vivo application as probiotic in aquaculture. All the strains were investigated for acid and bile tolerances, transit tolerance in simulated gastrointestinal conditions, for cell surface characteristics including hydrophobicity, co-aggregation and auto-aggregation, and for bile salt hydrolase activity. Moreover, haemolytic, gelatinase and biogenic amine-producing abilities were investigated for safety assessment. The strains were found to be tolerant at low pH (two strains at pH 2.0 and all the strains at pH 3.0). All of them could also survive in the presence of bile salts (0.3% oxgall) and in simulated gastric and intestinal juices conditions. Besides, three of them were found to harbour the gtf gene involved in pH and bile salt survival. The strains also showed remarkable cell surface characteristics, and 57.14% exhibited the ability to deconjugate bile salts. When assayed for their safety properties, the strains prove to be free from haemolytic activity, gelatinase activity and they could neither produce biogenic amines nor harbour the hdc gene. They did not also show antibiotic resistance, thus confirming to be safe for application as probiotics. Among them, Lactobacillus brevis 1BT and Lactobacillus plantarum 1KMT exhibited the best probiotic potentials, making them the most promising candidates.     

Preliminary evaluation of probiotic potential of Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from Italian food products

The aim of this study was to investigate some probiotic properties of 42 wild Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from different Italian foods of animal origin. The strains were first screened for their antibiotic resistance profile (chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamicin, and tetracycline), subsequently they were tested for their in vitro resistance to lysozyme (100 mg L^?1), low pH (3.0, 2.5 and 2.0) and bile salts (0.3, 0.5 and 1.0 %). Moreover, agglutination property was studied (adhesion to Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells), as well as the presence of bsh and msa genes. The strains with the best characteristics were subjected to a further trial in order to evaluate their ability to survive to multiple stresses over time (lysozyme, low pH and bile salts) and the effect of these treatments on adhesion to yeast cells. All the strains were susceptible to chloramphenicol, erythromycin and gentamicin, while 6 strains were excluded from further evaluation because of their resistant phenotype against tetracycline. All the strains were able to grow in presence of lysozyme, as well as in MRS broth at pH 3.0. Only 4 strains showed a growth rate lower than 80 % when grown in MRS broth at pH 2.5, while a relevant growth rate decrease was observed after exposure to pH 2.0. Bile salts didn’t affect the viability of the L. plantarum cells. Twenty-one strains out of 33 tested strains were able to adhere to S. cerevisiae cells. Presence of both bsh and msa genes was detected in 6 strains. The strains resistant to all the stresses, positive to agglutination with S. cerevisiae and showing bsh and msa genes were selected for further evaluation and subjected to different stress treatments over time. The assessment of growth rates showed that exposure to lysozyme significantly increased low pH resistance in L. plantarum. This increase ranged from 2.35 to 15.57 %. The consequential lysozyme and low pH exposures didn’t affect the growth rate values after bile salts treatment, as well as the ability of the strains to adhere to yeast cells wasn’t modified by previous treatments (lysozyme, low pH and bile salts). The present work allows to increase knowledge about non starter lactic acid bacteria from Italian food products. The studied L. plantarum strains showed a good potential for their use as probiotic cultures. However, more in vivo tests are necessary to confirm this potentiality.     

Probiotic characteristics of Lactobacillus strains isolated from cheese and their antibacterial properties against gastrointestinal tract pathogens

In the present study, four Lactobacillus strains from the cheese were analyzed for its probiotic potential against enteropathogenic bacteria. The probiotic properties of the selected strains were also analyzed and the selected bacterial strains showed high tolerance in bile salts and organic acid. The strain L. plantarum LP049 showed maximum survival rate (92 ± 4.2% and 93.3 ± 2%) after 3 h of treatment at 0.25% (w/v) bile salts and 0.25% (w/v) organic acid concentrations. The ability of the Lactobacillus strains to adhere to human epithelial cells (HT-29 cell lines) was evaluated and L. plantarum LP049 showed maximum adhesion property (19.2 ± 1.1%) than other tested strains. The Lactobacillus strains produced lactic acid at various concentrations. Compared with other strains, maximum level of lactic acid (3.1 g/L), hydrogen peroxide (4.31 mM) and bacteriocin (31 AU/mg) was detected in LB049. The inhibitory activity of culture supernatant against various bacterial pathogens was observed. The zone of inhibition ranged between 6 ± 2 mm and 23 ± 2 mm. The cell free extract showed activity against, Escherichia coli (ATCC 10536), Salmonella enteritidis (ATCC 13076), Shigella flexneri (ATCC 29903), and Enterococcus faecium (ATCC 8459). Consequently, L. plantarum LP049 may be considered as a potential candidate for the production of novel bioactive metabolites for therapeutic and bio-protective applications.     

In vitro study of potentially probiotic lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from kimchi

The objective of the present study was to investigate lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from kimchi for their potential probiotic use. Ten preselected LAB strains were evaluated for their functionality and safety. Examined characteristics included acid and bile tolerance, cell adhesion, antimicrobial activity against pathogens, hemolytic activity, undesirable biochemical characteristics, and antibiotic resistance. Results indicated that consumption of these 10 strains does not pose any health risk, as they were not hemolytic and exhibited no undesirable biochemical activity or antibiotic resistance. In particular, three strains, Lactobacillus plantarum NO1, Pediococcus pentosaceus MP1, and Lactobacillus plantarum AF1, showed high degrees of acid and bile tolerance, adherence to Caco-2 and HT-29 cells, and antimicrobial activity against four pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhi, and Listeria monocytogenes). These results suggest that LAB strains from kimchi may have potential use as novel probiotics.     

Screening and molecular identification of potential probiotic lactic acid bacteria in effluents generated during ogi production

Screening and molecular identification of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in effluents generated during the production of ogi, a fermented cereal (maize, millet, and sorghum) were done. LAB were isolated from effluents generated during the first and second fermentation stages in ogi production. Bacterial strains isolated were identified microscopically and phenotypically using standard methods. Probiotic potential properties of the isolated LAB were investigated in terms of their resistance to pH 1.5 and 0.3% bile salt concentration for 4 h. The potential LAB isolates ability to inhibit the growth of pathogenic organisms (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella typhimurium) was evaluated in vitro. The pH and LAB count in the effluents ranged from 3.31 to 4.49 and 3.67 to 4.72 log cfu/ml, respectively. A total of 88 LAB isolates were obtained from the effluents and only 10 LAB isolates remained viable at pH 1.5 and 0.3% bile salt. The zones of inhibition of the LAB isolates with probiotic potential ranged from 7.00 to 24.70 mm against test organsisms. Probiotic potential LAB isolates were molecularly identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus reuteri, Enterococcus faecium, Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Lactobacillus brevis. Survival and proliferation of LAB isolates at low pH, 0.3% bile salt condition, and their inhibition against some test pathogens showed that these LAB isolates could be a potential probiotics for research and commercial purposes.     

Molecular Characterization and In Vitro Analyses of a Sporogenous Bacterium with Potential Probiotic Properties

The Gram-positive thin rods of a Bacillus species were identified and designated as Bacillus coagulans RK - 02 through the standard microbiological and biochemical characterization procedures, followed by data analysis and comparison with the characteristics given in Bergey’s manual of systematic bacteriology. The culture was further characterized and confirmed as Bacillus coagulans by 16S rDNA sequence analysis wherein about 755 nucleotides of 16S rDNA was amplified and cloned in pGEM-T vector and subsequently sequenced. Sequence was blasted against the nr database of NCBI. Multiple alignments were done with some selected and related sequences using Clustal W. Phylogenetic trees were drawn with the same software after the distances were determined by neighbor-joining algorithm. The in vitro studies on the probiotic properties demonstrated that our isolate could prove to be a potential probiotic with spore-forming and lactic acid-producing abilities coupled with acid and bile tolerance properties and antimicrobial action. In addition to these characteristics, the bacterium also produced enzymes such as amylase, cellulase, lipase, protease, lactase and catalase, which can help in improving digestion and overall health, alleviate lactose intolerance and remove oxidative stresses, required for the well-being of the consumers. In our previously reported studies, an exopolysaccharide (EPS), a probioactive molecule produced by the same bacterium, showed very significant antioxidant, antihyperglycemic and emulsification activities. Thus, Bacillus coagulans RK - 02 is a well-characterized promising probiotic for its potential commercial applications to pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and functional food formulations with care-free storage.     

Isolation and characterization of bacteriocin‐producing bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract of broiler chickens for probiotic use

Aims: To isolate and characterize the bacteriocin‐producing bacteria (BPB) from the gastrointestinal tract of broiler chickens for probiotic use. Methods and Results: In total, 291 bacterial strains were isolated from broilers and screened for bacteriocin‐producing ability. The bacteriocins produced by Enterococcus faecium SH 528, Ent. faecium SH 632 and Pediococcus pentosaceus SH 740 displayed inhibitory activity against pathogens including Clostridium perfringens and Listeria monocytogenes. Activity of the bacteriocins remained unchanged after 30 min of heat treatment at 60°C or exposure to organic solvents, but diminished after treatment with proteolytic enzymes. PCR was used to detect the structural genes enterocin A and B in SH 528, enterocin L50 and P in SH 632, and pediocin PA‐1 in SH 740. Most of them were resistant to 0·5% bile salts and remained viable after 2 h at pH 3·0. Ent. faecium SH 528 exhibited the highest amylase activity among the strains tested. Conclusions: We selected Ent. faecium SH 528 and SH 632 and Ped. pentosaceus SH 740 by probiotic selection criteria including inhibition activity against pathogens. Significance and Impact of the Study: The isolated BPB could potentially be used in the poultry industry as probiotics to control pathogens.     

Screening for potential probiotic from spontaneously fermented non-dairy foods based on in vitro probiotic and safety properties

The aim of this study was to screen potential probiotic lactic acid bacteria from Chinese spontaneously fermented non-dairy foods by evaluating their probiotic and safety properties. All lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The in vitro probiotic tests included survival under low pH and bile salts, cell surface hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, co-aggregation, antibacterial activity, and adherence ability to cells. The safety properties were evaluated based on hemolytic activity and antibiotic resistance profile. The salt tolerance, growth in litmus milk, and acidification ability were examined on selected potential probiotic LAB strains to investigate their potential use in food fermentation. A total of 122 strains were isolated and identified at the species level by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and included 62 Lactobacillus plantarum, 40 Weissella cibaria, 12 Lactobacillus brevis, 6 Weissella confusa, and 2 Lactobacillus sakei strains. One W. cibaria and nine L. plantarum isolates were selected based on their tolerance to low pH and bile salts. The hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, co-aggregation, and antagonistic activities of these isolates varied greatly. All of the 10 selected strains showed multiple antibiotic resistance phenotypes and no hemolytic activity. The highest adhesion capacity to SW480 cells was observed with L. plantarum SK1. The isolates L. plantarum SK1, CB9, and CB10 were the most similar strains to Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and selected for their high salt tolerance and acidifying activity. The results revealed strain-specific probiotic properties were and potential probiotics that can be used in the food industry.     

Phytase-Producing Potential and Other Functional Attributes of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolates for Prospective Probiotic Applications

Wide variations among multifaceted-health benefitting attributes of probiotics fueled investigations on targeting efficacious probiotics. In the current study, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from poultry gut, feces of rat, chicken, human infants, and fermented foods were characterized for desired probiotic functional properties including the phytase-producing ability which is one of the wanted characteristics for probiotics for potential applications for upgrading animal nutrition, enhancing feed conversion, and minimizing anti-nutritional properties. Among 62 LAB isolates Weissella kimchii R-3 an isolate from poultry gut exhibited substantial phytase-producing ability (1.77 U/ml) in addition to other functional probiotic characteristics viz. hydrophobicity, autoaggregation, coaggregation with bacterial pathogens, and antimicrobial activity against pathogens. Survival of W. kimchii R-3 cells (in free and calcium alginate encapsulated state) was examined sequentially in simulated gastric and intestinal juices. Encapsulated cells exhibited better survival under simulated gut conditions indicating that encapsulation conferred considerable protection against adverse gut conditions. Furthermore, simulated gastric and intestinal juices with pepsin and pancreatin showed higher survival of cells than the juices without pepsin and pancreatin. W. kimchii R-3 due to its significant functional probiotic attributes may have prospective for commercial applications in human/animal nutrition.     

Isolation,Identification and Screening of Potential Probiotic Bacteria in Milk from South African Saanen Goats

This study aimed to evaluate lactic acid bacteria isolates from Saanen goats’ milk for probiotic attributes, thereby determining their potential as direct-fed microbials for goats. Isolates were identified using API 50CH system, 16S rDNA sequencing and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. All 17 isolates obtained were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum except one identified as Pediococcus acidilactici. Four isolates identified as L. plantarum (Accession numbers KJ026587.1, KM207826.1, KC83663.1 and KJ958428.1) by at least two of the techniques used and isolate 17 differently identified by all the methods used were selected as representatives and then screened for probiotic properties. These isolates displayed phenotypic probiotic attributes including tolerance to acid and bile salts, ability to adhere to intestines and possession of antagonistic activities against Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. The lactic acid bacteria isolated from Saanen goats’ milk showed potential to be used as sustainable probiotics in goats’ industry. Successful use of probiotics in animals depends upon availability of appropriate isolates originating from the specific host animal. This study is a positive contribution towards identification of isolates with potential for formulation as direct-fed microbials for South African Saanen goats.     

Stress response of some lactic acid bacteria isolated from Romanian artisan dairy products

Understanding the mechanisms of stress response and adaptation to stress in the case of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), especially in the case of strains with functional properties, is very important when such strains are potential candidates for starter cultures or probiotics. In this context, our study shows the response of some LAB [four exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing strains and one strain with potential probiotic effect] to the stresses induced by low and high incubation temperatures, acidity, NaCl, and bile salts, often encountered during the technological processes in food or during the passage through the human gastro-intestinal tract. The strains were able to grow at temperatures up to 40 °C (the mesophilic strains) and 47 °C (the thermophilic strain), in medium with an initial pH of at least 4.0 (Lactobacillus acidophilus IBB801), or in the presence of NaCl up to 10 % (Weissella confusa/cibaria 38.2), or bile salts up to 0.2 % (L. acidophilus IBB801). The protein and isoenzyme patterns of the strains subjected to various stress conditions presented several differences compared with the control patterns, among which the overexpression of some proteins of about 50–60 kDa, differences in the bands intensity in the case of the intracellular enzymes, or the complete loss of some of these bands. The best survival to low pH values and high temperatures was observed for strain L. acidophilus IBB801, the candidate probiotic strain. The EPS production of the four tested strains was, in general, directly related to the growth, the highest yields being obtained when strains were incubated at 24 °C.     

Genomic and physiological analyses of an indigenous strain, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enterococcus faecium</Emphasis> 17OM39

The human gut microbiome plays a crucial role in human health and efforts need to be done for cultivation and characterisation of bacteria with potential health benefits. Here, we isolated a bacterium from a healthy Indian adult faeces and investigated its potential as probiotic. The cultured bacterial strain 17OM39 was identified as Enterococcus faecium by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The strain 17OM39 exhibited tolerance to acidic pH, showed antimicrobial activity and displayed strong cell surface traits such as hydrophobicity and autoaggregation capacity. The strain was able to tolerate bile salts and showed bile salt hydrolytic (BSH) activity, exopolysaccharide production and adherence to human HT-29 cell line. Importantly, partial haemolytic activity was detected and the strain was susceptible to the human serum. Genomics investigation of strain 17OM39 revealed the presence of diverse genes encoding for proteolytic enzymes, stress response systems and the ability to produce essential amino acids, vitamins and antimicrobial compound Bacteriocin-A. No virulence factors and plasmids were found in this genome of the strain 17OM39. Collectively, these physiological and genomic features of 17OM39 confirm the potential of this strain as a candidate probiotic.     

A <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> strain as probiotic in poultry: selection based on in vitro functional properties and enzymatic potentialities

We have proposed and validate an in vitro probiotic selection, based on enzymatic potentialities associated to well-established probiotic functional properties. A new Bacillus subtilis HB2 isolate, selected based on its high extracellular enzyme production, was chosen as a probiotic candidate for application as animal feed supplement. The HB2 strain showed an excellent acid and bile salts tolerance, a strong adhesion to chick enterocytes and produced antimicrobials against pathogens. An in vivo trial in poultry farming was conducted to evaluate the HB2 probiotic performance. After 35 days, HB2 achieved the higher growth performance than the control groups. The mortality and the feed conversion ratio were significantly decreased. Finally, the HB2 treated group showed wet litter and less severe ammonia odor in the atmosphere. Our study provides new insights into the importance of enzymatic potentialities, associated with the common functional properties, as a novel approach for probiotic selection.     

Effect of bacteriocin and exopolysaccharides isolated from probiotic on <Emphasis Type="Italic">P. aeruginosa</Emphasis> PAO1 biofilm

Microorganisms develop biofilms on indwelling medical devices and are associated with biofilm-related infections, resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. Therefore, to prevent and control biofilm-associated infections, the present study was designed to assess the anti-biofilm potential of postbiotics derived from probiotic organisms against most prevalent biofilm-forming Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. Eighty lactic acid bacteria isolated from eight neonatal fecal samples possessed antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa PAO1. Among these, only four lactic acid bacteria produced both bacteriocin and exopolysaccharides but only one isolate was found to maximally attenuate the P. aeruginosa PAO1 biofilm. More specifically, the phenotypic and probiotic characterization showed that the isolated lactic acid bacteria were gram positive, non-motile, and catalase and oxidase negative; tolerated acidic and alkaline pH; has bile salt concentration; showed 53% hydrophobicity; and was found to be non-hemolytic. Phylogenetically, the organism was found to be probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum with accession no. KT998657. Interestingly, pre-coating of a microtiter plate either with bacteriocin or with exopolysaccharides as well as their combination significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the number of viable cells forming biofilms to 41.7% compared with simultaneous coating of postbiotics that had 72.4% biofilm-forming viable cells as observed by flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Therefore, it can be anticipated that postbiotics as the natural biointerventions can be employed as the prophylactic agents for medical devices used to treat gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections.     

Probiotic characteristics of lactic acid bacteria isolated from kimchi

Aims: The present work was aimed at identifying strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from kimchi, with properties suitable for use as starter cultures in yogurt fermentation. Methods and Results: A total of 2344 LAB strains were obtained from two different sources, one group consisted of commercial LAB strains from kimchi, and the second group consisted of those strains isolated from various types of kimchi. The LAB strains from both groups were screened for resistance to biological barriers (acid and bile salts), and the four most promising strains were selected. Further analysis revealed that KFRI342 of the four selected strains displayed the greatest ability to reduce the growth of the cancer cells, SNU‐C4. The in vivo efficacy of strains in quinone reductase induction assay was evaluated, and the extent of DNA strand breakage in individual cells was investigated using the comet assay. Strain KFRI342 was identified as Lactobacillus acidophilus by 16S rRNA sequence analysis, showed protection against tumour initiation and imparted immunostimulation as well as protection against DNA damage. Conclusions: Strain KFRI342, which showed probiotic characteristics reducing cancer cell growth, could be a suitable starter culture for yogurt fermentation because of its strong acid production and high acid tolerance. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first report to describe a bacterium, isolated from kimchi, Lact. acidophilus KFRI342 which has the probiotic characteristics and the acid tolerance needed for its use as a starter culture in yogurt fermentation.     

Anti-inflammatory and Anti-osteoporotic Potential of Lactobacillus plantarum A41 and L. fermentum SRK414 as Probiotics

This study involves an investigation on the probiotic properties of lactic acid bacteria and their potential applications in an in vitro model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammation and dexamethasone-induced osteoporosis. Nine strains were pre-screened from 485 lactic acid bacteria based on their survival at a low pH and in a solution containing bile salts. All candidates were capable of surviving in an environment with low pH and with bile salts and could successfully colonize the intestine. Furthermore, their functional properties, such as anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation, were evaluated. Of the nine probiotic candidates, Lactobacillus plantarum A41 and L. fermentum SRK414 exhibited the highest anti-oxidative capacity. Moreover, only L. plantarum A41 and L. fermentum SRK414 could increase gut barrier function by upregulating the mRNA expression of tight junction proteins and inhibit the expression of inflammatory mediators induced by LPS-stimulated inflammation. Interestingly, these two strains were also capable of regulating several bone metabolism-related markers playing a role in bone homeostasis and osteoblast differentiation. In brief, L. plantarum A41 and L. fermentum SRK414 exhibited high probiotic potential and potentially impact immune-related bone health by modulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and bone metabolism-related markers.

     

Genomic analysis of Enterococcus durans LAB18S,a potential probiotic strain isolated from cheese

Gut microbiota exerts a fundamental role in human health and increased evidence supports the beneficial role of probiotic microorganisms in the maintenance of intestinal health. Enterococcus durans LAB18S was previously isolated from soft cheese and showed some desirable in vitro probiotic properties, for that reason its genome was sequenced and evaluated for genes that can be relevant for probiotic activity and are involved in selenium metabolism. Genome sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq System. A variety of genes potentially associated with probiotic properties, including adhesion capability, viability at low pH, bile salt resistance, antimicrobial activity, and utilization of prebiotic fructooligosaccharides (FOS) were identified. The strain showed tolerance to acid pH and bile salts, exhibited antimicrobial activity and thrived on prebiotic oligosaccharides. Six genes involved in selenium metabolism were predicted. Analysis of the SECIS element showed twelve known selenoprotein candidates. E. durans LAB18S was the only food isolate showing absence of plasmids, virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes, when compared with other 30 E. durans genomes. The results of this study provide evidence supporting the potential of E. durans LAB18S as alternative for probiotic formulations.