Generation of uncultivable forms of Lactobacillus plantarum 8R-A3 under solid-state cultivation on wheat bran

This paper shows that in the solid-state cultivation of Lactobacillus plantarum 8R-A3 on wheat bran, a biofilm was formed on the surface of the carrier within 48 h. Prolongation of fermentation caused a drop in the number of CFU from 96% of the initial total number of cells to 8.8% by 72 h. When the temperature was raised from 37 to 45°C, which led to drying of the fermentation mass, the CFU index decreased to <10⁴. According to fluorescence microscopy data, up to 40% of bacteria with signs of life survived in the dry specimens. After keeping the mice on a diet with the introduction of 0.05% of fermented bran dried for 72 hours, a strain genetically identical to the L. plantarum 8R-A3 was extracted from the colon. In animals with amikacin-inhibited intestinal lactobacilli, their normal level recovered. It is suggested that L. plantarum 8R-A3 generates uncultivable forms, which are reanimated by passage through the animal organism and exhibit probiotic activity. The biofilm formed in the solid-state cultivation contributes to the survival of lactobacilli cells in drying of the fermentation mass.