International Journal of Fermented Foods: v.3.n.2 p-157-165 Dec. 2014

© 2014 New Delhi Publishers. All rights reserved

DOI No. 10.5958/2321-712X.2014.01316.7

5

Bile tolerance, Bile Deconjugation

and Cholesterol reducing properties

of Lactobacillus strains isolated from

traditional fermented foods

Pooja Thakkar 1 , Hasmukh Modi 1 , Bhumika Dabhi 2 and

Jashbhai Prajapati 2

1 Department of Life Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat- 380009, India.

2 Department of Dairy Microbiology, Anand Agriculture University, Anand, Gujarat-388110,

India.

Corresponding author: poojathakkar16603@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Bileȱ tolerance,ȱ bileȱ deconjugationȱ andȱ cholesterolȱ reducingȱ propertiesȱ ofȱ fiveȱ

strains of lactobacilli, viz. PD2, PC27, PSC6, PH5 and PFC21 were tested with a

view to select culture for conducting in vivo feeding trial for hyperlipemic mice.

Strain PD2 was found to be most bile tolerant, followed by PH5, PC27, PSC6

and PFC21. The strain PD2 released maximum amount of free cholic acid (2.37

mM) from sodium taurocholate. With respect to cholesterol assimilation, PH5

showedȱaȱmaximumȱreductionȱofȱ76.85ȱ%.ȱOverallȱtwoȱstrainsȱamongȱfiveȱgaveȱ

a good performance in all these in vitro tests and hence, is recommended for in

vivo feeding experiments.

Keywords: Lactic acid bacteria, Fermented food, probiotic, bile salt, cholesterol

Lacticȱacidȱbacteriaȱareȱknownȱamongȱtheȱbeneficialȱgroupȱofȱmicrofloraȱ

andȱtheirȱtherapeuticȱeffectsȱareȱexperiencedȱsinceȱagesȱandȱscientificallyȱ

validated. In the present era, their use as probiotics and functional foods

ingredientsȱhasȱbecomeȱcommon.ȱProbioticsȱareȱdefinedȱasȱ‘liveȱmicrobialȱ

supplementȱ thatȱ beneficiallyȱ affectȱ theȱ hostȱ byȱ improvingȱ itsȱ intestinalȱ

microbial balance’ (Fuller, 1992). The best studied probiotic strains among

the Lactobacilli, involves the species Lactobacillus acidophilus , L. fermentum ,