Cholesterol Assimilation by Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria Isolated from the Human Gut

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of human gut-derived lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria on cholesterol levels in vitro. Continuous cultures inoculated with fecal material from healthy human volunteers with media supplemented with cholesterol and bile acids were used to enrich for potential cholesterol assimilators among the indigenous bacterial populations. Seven potential probiotics were found: Lactobacillus fermentum strains F53 and KC5b, Bifidobacterium infantis ATCC 15697, Streptococcus bovis ATCC 43143, Enterococcus durans DSM 20633, Enterococcus gallinarum, and Enterococcus faecalis. A comparative evaluation regarding the in vitro cholesterol reduction abilities of these strains along with commercial probiotics was undertaken. The degree of acid and bile tolerance of strains was also evaluated. The human isolate L. fermentum KC5b was able to maintain viability for 2 h at pH 2 and to grow in a medium with 4,000 mg of bile acids per liter. This strain was also able to remove a maximum of 14.8 mg of cholesterol per g (dry weight) of cells from the culture medium and therefore was regarded as a candidate probiotic.

Dose–response study of probiotic bacteria Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis BB-12 and Lactobacillus paracasei subsp paracasei CRL-341 in healthy young adults

“…Results from several in vitro studies indicate that some strains of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are able to reduce the concentration of cholesterol in a culture medium when grown under anaerobic conditions in the presence of bile acid (Tahri et al, 1996;Brashears et al, 1998;Pereira and Gibson, 2002). Likewise strains of B. animalis isolated from feces have shown to possess bile salt hydrolase activity (Tanaka et al, 1999).…”

Effects of Kluyveromyces marxianus Isolated from Tibetan Mushrooms on the Plasma Lipids, Egg Cholesterol Level, Egg Quality and Intestinal Health of Laying Hens

“…It is thought that some lactic acid bacteria may secrete high-activity bile salt hydrolase (BSH) during metabolism, and this secretion could considerably affect cholesterol levels (Pereira & Gibson, 2002;Nguyen et al, 2007). Furthermore, BSH degrades cholates into amino acids and low-solubility free cholate in the enterohepatic circulation.…”

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, the Gut Microbiome, and Diet

“…in n-3 PUFA-depleted mice (58). Moreover, it has been shown that an increase in lactic acid bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium spp., is related to a reduction in cholesterol absorption (154) and an increase in bile acid deconjugation, which leads to more excretion of bile acids and elimination of hepatic cholesterol (155).…”