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Methods for Isolation and Recovery of Bifidobacteria

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Bifidobacteria

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2278))

Abstract

Since their discovery, bifidobacteria have been considered to represent cornerstone commensal microorganisms in the host-microbiome interface at the intestinal level. Bifidobacteria have therefore enjoyed increasing scientific and commercial interest as a source of microorganisms with probiotic potential. However, since functional and probiotic traits are strictly strain-dependent, there is a constant need to isolate, cultivate, and characterize novel strains, activities that require the utilization of appropriate media, as well as robust isolation, cultivation, and preservation techniques. Besides, effective isolation of bifidobacteria from natural environments might require different manipulation and cultivation media and conditions depending on the specific characteristics of the sample material, the presence of competitive microbiota, the metabolic state in which bifidobacteria might be encountered within the sample and the particular metabolic traits of the bifidobacterial species adapted to such inhabitation.

A wide array of culture media recipes have been described in the literature to routinely isolate and grow bifidobacteria under laboratory conditions. However, there is not a single and universally applicable medium for effective isolation, recovery, and cultivation of bifidobacteria, as each growth medium has its own particular advantages and limitations. Besides, the vast majority of these media formulations was not specifically formulated for these microorganisms, and thus information on bifidobacterial cultivation options is scarce while being scattered throughout literature. This chapter intends to serve as a resource summarizing the options to cultivate bifidobacteria that have been described to date, highlighting the main advantages and limitations of each of them.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry of Dairy Products, Dairy Research Institute of Asturias (IPLA-CSIC), Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain

    Abelardo Margolles & Lorena Ruiz

  2. Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Asturias, Spain

    Abelardo Margolles & Lorena Ruiz

Authors
  1. Abelardo Margolles
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  2. Lorena Ruiz
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Correspondence to Lorena Ruiz .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Microbiome Ireland, School of Microbiology & APC, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

    Douwe van Sinderen

  2. Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences & Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy

    Marco Ventura

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Margolles, A., Ruiz, L. (2021). Methods for Isolation and Recovery of Bifidobacteria. In: van Sinderen, D., Ventura, M. (eds) Bifidobacteria. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2278. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1274-3_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1274-3_1

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-1273-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-1274-3

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