Abstract

This study evaluated the probiotic and cholesterol-lowering property of Lactobacillusspp. isolated from non human origin. Four strains, TGCM 15, TGCM 26, TGCM 33 and TGCM 128 were selected and identified as Lactobacillus plantarum. These strains tolerated to 0.15% and 0.30% (w/v) bile salt and resisted to pH values 2 - 8 with survival rate more than 50% during 2 h of growth. In addition, all strains exhibited strong antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778, Pseudomonas aeruginosaATCC 27853, Salmonella typhi, Shigella sonnei and Candida albicans ATCC 90028. TGCM 15 and TGCM 33 exhibited the bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity and cholesterol-lowering properties with the reduction rate more than 50% by active cells. In particular, TGCM 15 exhibited the significantly highest cholesterol-lowering activity at 81.46%. Conversely, TGCM 26 was determined to have the significantly lowest activity at 25.41%. The percentages of cholesterol-lowering by resting and dead cells of TGCM 15 and TGCM 33 were not significantly different. The resting and dead cells of all strains exhibited the cholesterol-lowering activities in the range of 13.11 - 23.28 and 11.44 - 19.53%, respectively. According to these results, the 4 strains of L. plantarum have revealed the probiotic’s potential in cholesterol-lowering property.

Key words: Probiotic, Lactobacillus plantarum, bile salt hydrolase, cholesterol-lowering property.