Cheol Soo Ahn

Probiotic Potential of Lactobacillus Isolates

The purpose of this study was to investigate the probiotic properties of lactic acid bacterial strains isolated from animal feces. BCNU 9041 and BCNU 9042 isolates were assigned to Lactobacillus brevis on the basis of their physiological properties and 16S ribosomal DNA sequences analysis. They were confirmed as safe bioresources because of their non-hemolytic activities and non-production of harmful -glucosidase, -glucuronidase, tryptophanase, or urease. These isolates were also highly resistant to acid (at pH 2.5) and bile acids (at concentration of 0.3%, 0.6%, and 1% oxgall). In addition, they exhibited good antibacterial activity against food-borne bacteria, especially Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Shigella sonnei. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that they have the highest levels of hydrophobicity and that they showed bile salt hydrolytic and cholesterol assimilation activity. These results suggest that BCNU 9041 and 9042 have good potential for application in functional foods and health-related products.

Probiotic Potential of Indigenous Bacillus sp. BCNU 9028 Isolated from Meju

Spore-forming bacteria are being used as probiotic supplements for human and animal use, due to their low pH stability and ability to survive the gastric barrier. In this study, the BCNU 9028 strain was screened from meju, a Korean fermented soybean food starter. Biochemical and physiological characteristics, as well as 16S rDNA sequence analyses, indicate that this strain belongs to the genus Bacillus. Bacillus sp. BCNU 9028 showed a 92% survivability at pH 2.5 and could also withstand 0.3% ox bile. Furthermore, it was postulated that Bacillus sp. BCNU 9028 could prevent biofilm formation and adherence of food-borne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, S. aureus and E. coli on the basis of its autoaggregation and coaggregation capacity with food-borne pathogens. It was shown that BCNU 9028 has good abilities to adhere to the intestinal tract from its hydrophobic character (63.3%). The Bacillus sp. BCNU 9028 strain especially elicited antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and -negative pathogens. These findings suggested that the Bacillus sp. BCNU 9028 strain could be used as a potential probiotic.

Probiotic Potential of Pediococcus pentosaceus BCNU 9070

Lactic acid bacteria are generally recognized as beneficial probiotic organisms. Recent studies revealed that the potential of probiotic strains was essentially dependent on the bacterial-binding and adhesion capabilities to gut epithelial cells and the hydrophobicity of the cell surface. In this study, we screened some indigenous lactic acid bacteria from Kimchi and selected one lactic acid bacterium as a potential probiotic based on its cell surface hydrophobicity. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences of probiotic isolates indicated that the selected isolate (BCNU 9070 strain) was a member of Pediococcus pentosaceus. P. pentosaceus BCNU 9070 showed resistance to bile acids and acidic pH. The P. pentosaceus BCNU 9070 strain also inhibited the cell growth of six food-borne pathogens including Listeria monocytogenes and Shigella sonnei. In addition, the P. pentosaceus BCNU 9070 strain expressed bile salt hydrolase activity and showed an ability to assimilate cholesterol in vitro. On the basis of these results, P. pentosaceus BCNU 9070 is considered to have probiotic potential for applications in functional foodstuffs.