Lactic acid bacteria of the Leuconostoc genus with high innate immunity-stimulating activity

Drug Discov Ther. 2017 Mar 22;11(1):25-29. doi: 10.5582/ddt.2016.01078. Epub 2017 Feb 14.

Abstract

We screened lactic acid bacteria that exhibited high innate immunity-stimulating activity by monitoring muscle contraction activity in silkworms. Heat-treated fractions of lactic acid bacteria, Leuconostoc carnosum #7-2, Leuconostoc gelidum #4-2, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides 8/11-3, had high (250-460 units/mg) innate immunity-stimulating activity. These lactic acid bacteria proliferated in milk to concentrations of 1 × 106 colony forming unit/mL. The present findings suggest that the silkworm muscle contraction assay is useful for screening lactic acid bacteria with high innate immunity-stimulating activity, and that the assay can be used for the production of fermented foods made from milk.

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Bombyx
  • Immunity, Innate*
  • Leuconostoc / isolation & purification
  • Leuconostoc / physiology*
  • Milk / microbiology

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic