Adhesive properties of food and faecal potential probiotic lactobacilli

Abstract

In the present investigation, total four isolates of Lactobacillus species i.e. L. casei, L. helveticus, L. brevis and L. fermentum were examined for the cell surface hydrophobicity by bacterial adherence to hydrocarbons assay in LAPTg broth and hydrophobicity was calculated as percentage decrease in Optical Density at 600 nm. The general range of hydrophobicity in Lactobacilli was found in between 6-73%. Remarkably, L. helveticus and L . fermentum showed 73% hydrophobicity in xylene. Higher value of hydrophobicity could point toward a better ability of lactobacilli to adhere to epithelium cells. The outcome of present study concludes that L. helveticus and L. fermentum have good adhesive properties which may help them to adhere to surface epithelium of host cell and further screening with other probiotic attributes could be designated as probiotics.