Lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from indigenous Bangladeshi raw milk demonstrate strong probiotic potential and antimicrobial activity against various pathogens.
The researchers isolated and evaluated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from raw milk indigenous to Bangladesh, focusing on its probiotic potential. To do this, they conducted a series of tests examining the LAB’s antagonistic activity towards several harmful foodborne pathogens, their survivability under gastric conditions, tolerance to phenol and bile salts, adhesiveness to ileum epithelial cells, aggregation abilities, hydrophobicity and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. They also assessed these strains’ antibiotic susceptibility, covering key antibiotics widely used in medical and veterinary practices.
The research spotlighted four LAB strains, identified as Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Lactobacillus paracasei, as possessing strong probiotic potential. This was primarily due to their shown ability to inhibit all tested pathogens to varying degrees and competitively exclude pathogens at certain viable counts. Their antimicrobial activity was attributed to their production of bacteriocin, organic acids, and low-molecular-weight substances. Additionally of note was their resistance to several antibiotics; all four strains resisted oxacillin, and three out of four resisted vancomycin and streptomycin. The study concludes by suggesting the potential for these LAB strains to be considered probiotic candidates for application in the food industry post in-vivo evaluation.
