Effects of the Food Manufacturing Chain on the Viability and Functionality of Bifidobacterium animalis through Simulated Gastrointestinal Conditions

PLoS One. 2016 Jun 22;11(6):e0157958. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157958. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

The viability and functionality of probiotics may be influenced by industrial production processes resulting in a decrease in probiotic efficiency that benefit the health of humans. This study aimed to investigate the probiotic characteristics of Bifidobacterium strains isolated from fecal samples of healthy Thai infants. In the present work, three local strains (BF014, BF052, and BH053) belonging to Bifidobacterium animalis showed a great resistance against conditions simulating the gastrointestinal tract. Among these, B. animalis BF052 possessed considerable probiotic properties, including high acid and bile tolerance, strong adhesion capability to Caco-2 cells, and inhibitory activity against pathogens including Salmonella typhimurium and Vibrio cholerae. This strain also exhibited a high survival rate compared to commercial strains during storage in a wide variety of products, including pasteurized milk, soy milk, drinking yogurt, and orange juice. The impact of food processing processes as well as the freeze-drying process, storage of freeze-dried powders, and incorporation of freeze-dried cells in food matrix on probiotic properties was also determined. The stability of the probiotic properties of the BF052 strain was not affected by food processing chain, especially its resistance in the simulated gastrointestinal conditions and its adherence ability to Caco-2 cells. It indicates that it satisfies the criteria as a potential probiotic and may be used as an effective probiotic starter in food applications.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacterial Adhesion / drug effects
  • Bifidobacterium animalis / cytology
  • Bifidobacterium animalis / drug effects
  • Bifidobacterium animalis / physiology*
  • Bile Acids and Salts / pharmacology
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Cell Adhesion / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cryoprotective Agents / pharmacology
  • Food*
  • Freeze Drying
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / drug effects
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / microbiology*
  • Gastrointestinal Transit / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Infant
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Microbial Viability* / drug effects
  • Pancreatin / pharmacology
  • Probiotics / metabolism

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bile Acids and Salts
  • Cryoprotective Agents
  • Pancreatin

Grants and funding

This work was financially supported by the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) under the Royal Golden Jubilee PhD Program (Grant No. PHD/0076/2552). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.