Aims: To evaluate the efficiency of the vitamin B(12-)producing Lactobacillus reuteri CRL1098 strain in preventing the symptoms caused by a nutritional cobalamin-deficient diet in pregnant female mice and their weaned offspring.
Methods and results: Pregnant female mice were divided into three groups: animals fed with a B(12)-deficient diet (DD), animals fed with DD plus L. reuteri CRL1098 and animals fed with a B(12)-sufficient diet. The animals received the different feedings from the end of gestation up to weaning. At the end of the trials, they and their corresponding offspring were bled to determine haematological, immunological and histological parameters. The administration of the pseudovitamin B(12)-producing strain prevented the symptoms observed in female and weaned young animals fed with a nutritional B(12)-deficient diet.
Conclusions: Our data suggest that the pseudovitamin B(12) produced by L. reuteri CRL1098 is biologically active and effective in preventing the pathologies caused by the nutritional deficiency of B(12) both in pregnant mice and their offspring.
Significance and impact of the study: The ability of L. reuteri CRL1098 to prevent a nutritional vitamin deficiency was demonstrated for the first time. The addition of a GRAS micro-organism to complement the B(12) content in deficient foods is an interesting biotechnological alternative.