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Probiotic potential and safety of enterococci strains

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Abstract

The aims of this research were to evaluate the safety and probiotic potential of Enterococcus spp. strains and select novel strains for future development of new functional fermented products. Bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity, capacity of auto-aggregation and co-aggregation, hydrophobicity, tolerance to different pH values and NaCl content, mucin degradation, and antibiotic susceptibility were evaluated. Considering the preliminary probiotic features and safety, the strains were selected for complementary tests: tolerance to gastrointestinal tract (GIT) conditions, adhesion to Caco-2 cells and β-galactosidase activity, and presence of genes encoding virulence factors, antibiotic resistance, and biogenic amines were also performed for the selected strains. Enterococcus faecium SJRP20 and SJRP65 resisted well to the GIT conditions, presented low adhesion property, produced β-galactosidase although they did not present genes implicated in adhesion, aggregation, and colonization. Enterococcus faecium SJRP65 showed fewer genes related to antibiotic resistance and virulence factors and presented good functional properties, with interesting features for future application in dairy products.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would also like to thank Dr. José Manoel de Moura Filho for his assistance with statistical analysis.

Funding

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, Brazil, Project N° 2014/02131-8), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Brazil, Project 307155/2015–3) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, Brazil).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Federal Institute of Maranhão – IFMA, São Luís, MA, 65095-460, Brazil

    Liane Caroline Sousa Nascimento

  2. Institute of Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso – UFMT, Rondonópolis, MT, 78736-900, Brazil

    Sabrina Neves Casarotti

  3. Department of Food Science and Experimental Nutrition, São Paulo University – USP, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil

    Svetoslav Dimitrov Todorov

  4. Department of Food Engineering and Technology, São Paulo State University – UNESP, São José do Rio Preto, SP, 15054-000, Brazil

    Ana Lúcia Barretto Penna

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  1. Liane Caroline Sousa Nascimento
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  2. Sabrina Neves Casarotti
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  3. Svetoslav Dimitrov Todorov
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  4. Ana Lúcia Barretto Penna
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Correspondence to Ana Lúcia Barretto Penna.

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Nascimento, L.C.S., Casarotti, S.N., Todorov, S.D. et al. Probiotic potential and safety of enterococci strains. Ann Microbiol 69, 241–252 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13213-018-1412-5

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