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Probiotic abilities of riboflavin-overproducing Lactobacillus strains: a novel promising application of probiotics

  • Applied microbial and cell physiology
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Abstract

The probiotic potential of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus fermentum strains, capable of overproducing riboflavin, was investigated. The riboflavin production was quantified in co-cultures of lactobacilli and human intestinal epithelial cells, and the riboflavin overproduction ability was confirmed. When milk and yogurt were used as carrier matrices, L. plantarum and L. fermentum strains displayed a significant ability to survive through simulated gastrointestinal transit. Adhesion was studied on both biotic and abiotic surfaces. Both strains adhered strongly on Caco-2 cells, negatively influenced the adhesion of Escherichia coli O157:H7, and strongly inhibited the growth of three reference pathogenic microbial strains. Resistance to major antibiotics and potential hemolytic activity were assayed. Overall, this study reveals that these Lactobacillus stains are endowed with promising probiotic properties and thus are candidates for the development of novel functional food which would be both enriched in riboflavin and induce additional health benefits, including a potential in situ riboflavin production, once the microorganisms colonize the host intestine.

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Acknowledgments

G.S. is supported by the Italian Ministry for Development in the framework of the “Industria 2015 Bando Nuove Tecnologie per il Made in Italy—Realizzazione di una innovativa pasta alimentare funzionale arricchita di componenti bioattivi e probiotici” and by MIUR [PON02_00186_2937475] in the framework of the project named “Protocolli innovativi per lo sviluppo di alimenti funzionali” [Pro.Ali.Fun.]”. P.L. and G.S. are supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness grants AGL2012-40084-C03-01. We would like to thank Prof. Michiel Kleerebezem [NIZO Food Research, Ede, Netherlands] for providing the L. plantarum WCFS1 strain and Dr. Fergal Rattray [Chr. Hansen, Hörsholm, Denmark] for providing Lactobacillus acidophilus LA5.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, Foggia, 71122, Italy

    Mattia P. Arena, Pasquale Russo, Vittorio Capozzi & Giuseppe Spano

  2. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Infection Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid, 28040, Spain

    Paloma López

  3. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Pinto 1, Foggia, 71122, Italy

    Mattia P. Arena & Daniela Fiocco

  4. Promis Biotech srl, Via Napoli 25, Foggia, 71122, Italy

    Pasquale Russo & Vittorio Capozzi

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  1. Mattia P. Arena
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  2. Pasquale Russo
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Correspondence to Giuseppe Spano.

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Arena, M.P., Russo, P., Capozzi, V. et al. Probiotic abilities of riboflavin-overproducing Lactobacillus strains: a novel promising application of probiotics. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 98, 7569–7581 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-5837-x

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