Probiotic Potential of Bacterial Isolates From ‘Amabere amaruranu’ Cultured Milk

• Main Author: Boyiri, Blaise B.
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2014
• Subjects: Cultured milk; Digestive tract conditions; Lactic acid bacteria; Probiotics; Mucins; Food Microbiology; Food Science; Microbiology
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2389; https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3748&context=etd

Probiotics are viable nonpathogenic microbes that positively affect host health. Probiotics inhibit infection, activate immunity, and promote mucosal-barrier development. Many microbes have probiotic activity. Nonetheless, the selection of stable strains and their specific mechanism(s) of action are not fully elucidated. Bacteria from ‘Amabere amaruranu’ cultured milk from Kenya were isolated and identified by PCR sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. Isolates were examined for stability to acid and bile, antimicrobial activity, mucin production, and degradation and sensitivity to antibiotics, hence their potential for probiotics. Lactobacillus isolates were acid unstable, bile-stable, nonmucinolytic, and presented antibacterial activity. L. rhamnosus cell fractions increased MUC4 and MUC3 expression in colon cells. Bacillus isolates were acid and bile stable, nonmucinolytic and lacked antimicrobial activity. In conclusion, Lactobacillus isolates that were nonmucinolytic, stable in bile, demonstrated antibacterial activity, sensitive to antibiotics, and stimulated increase MUC4 and MUC3 levels in colon cells could be potential probiotics.