Bile salt hydrolase activity and cholesterol assimilation of lactic acid bacteria isolated from flowers

Abstract

A total of 16 isolates of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from flowers were screened for the bile salt hydrolase activity on MRS (de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe; Difco) agar supplemented with 0.5% (w/v) taurodeoxycholic acid. The isolates were divided into two groups based on their phenotypic characteristics and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of the representative isolates. Group I isolates were cocci as the members of genus Enterococcus. Isolates FM1-1, FM1-2, FM12-1, and FM12-2 were identified as Enterococcus durans (100% similarity), isolate FM2-3 was identified as Enterococcus gallinarum (99.92% similarity), while the isolate FM11-2 was identified as Enterococcus lactis (99.77% similarity). Group II isolates were rods as the members of genus Lactobacillus. They were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum (the representative isolates, FM3-1 and FM16-2, showed 100% similarity). Eleven isolates, including FM1-1, FM1-2, FM2-3, FM3-1, FM4-2, FM11-2, FM12-1, FM12-2, FM14-1, FM14-2, and FM16-2, exhibited bile salt hydrolase activity. All LAB isolates showed the cholesterol assimilated ability ranged from 9.57% to 51.69%. The isolate FM11-2 efficiently assimilated the cholesterol with 51.69%.