Br J Nutr. 2010 Nov 9:1-8. [Epub ahead of print]

Manufacturing process influences properties of probiotic bacteria.

Grze?kowiak L, Isolauri E, Salminen S, Gueimonde M.

Functional Foods Forum, University of Turku, Itäinen Pitkäkatu 4 A 5, 20014 Turku, Finland.

Abstract

Productionand manufacturing methods and the food carrier may influence the properties ofprobiotic strains, and have an impact on the outcome of clinical interventionstudies. The aim of the present study was to establish whether the propertiesof a specific probiotic strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, may differdepending on the product and source of the strain. In total, fifteen differentL. rhamnosus isolates, among them fourteen labelled as L. rhamnosus GG, wereisolated from specific probiotic products. The micro-organisms werephenotypically and genotypically characterised. Their adhesion properties werecompared using the human intestinal mucus model, and the ability of theisolates to influence model pathogen adhesion to human colonic mucus was assessed.All L. rhamnosus isolates used were confirmed as members of the species L.rhamnosus. Except the reference strain OL, all L. rhamnosus isolates showedrandomly amplified polymorphic DNA, enterobacterial repetitive intergenicconsensus and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles identical to that of L.rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103). All L. rhamnosus isolates showed similar toleranceto acid and were able to bind to human colonic mucus. However, pathogenexclusion by inhibition and competition varied significantly among thedifferent L. rhamnosus isolates and pathogens tested. The results suggest thatdifferent sources of the same probiotic may have significantly altered strainproperties. This should be considered in in vivo studies on human subjects andalso for quality control of probiotic products.

PMID: 21059281 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]