FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERISTIC OF PROBIOTIC LACTIC ACID BACTERIA WITH BILE SALT HYDROLASE ACTIVITIES AND DEVELOPMENT OF PROBIOTIC PRODUCTS BY MICROENCAPSULATION

Abstract

The cholesterol-lowering activity of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can ameliorate the effects of hypercholesterolemia. Thus, the purposes of this study were to isolate probiotic LAB with the ability to produce bile salt hydrolase (BSH) and cholesterol assimilation to be developed as probiotic products via microencapsulation using whey protein isolate (WPI) and nano-crystalline starch (NCS). In this study, Lactobacillus reuteri TF-7, Enterococcus faecium TF-18, and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis TA-1 expressed the most robust cholesterol-lowering activity and functional characteristics of probiotics. In the in vivo study, the oral administration of three strains contributed to the reduction of lipid levels and the modulation of gut microbiota. After developing probiotic products by microencapsulation, WPI-NCS microcapsules of probiotics could enhance survivability under gastrointestinal conditions and stability during long-term storage. The findings suggested that these probiotic products could be applied as an alternative treatment for metabolic disorders caused by hypercholesterolemia.-