Probiotic Attributes of Lactic Acid Bacterial Isolates of Sweet Corn (Zea mays L. saccharata)

Author: M.S. Yashaswini, Suvarna, V.C., Banu Deshpande, Shashank S. and Arpitha T.

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Abstract

Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. The focus of this research is to explore the probiotic capabilities of lactic acid (LA) bacteria of sweet corn, with the prospect of creating functional foods and supplements that enhance gut health. The LA bacterial isolates that exhibited significant biopreservation activity were further evaluated for their probiotic attributes. The two best LA bacterial strains, Lactiplantibacillus pentosus UASBMIC_18, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum UASBMIC_22 and a reference culture, Lactobacillus acidophilus NCIM 2908 were assessed for their probiotic potential. The viability of LA bacteria is crucial to deliver significant health benefits to the host by withstanding the conditions prevailing in the gastrointestinal tract. All the LA bacterial strains were evaluated for tolerance to diverse pH levels, temperature variations, bile salts, NaCl and phenol. Additionally, evaluations included adhesive properties such as auto-aggregation, cell hydrophobicity and safety assessments through haemolytic and antibiotic susceptibility tests. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum UASBMIC_22 strain demonstrated significant results, outperforming the reference Lactobacillus acidophilus strain NCIM 2903 in terms of all the evaluated probiotic properties. Allthe LA bacterial strains were negative for haemolytic activity, signifying their safety for consumption.

Keywords

Probiotics, Lactic acid bacteria, Sweet corn, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum UASBMIC_22, Lactobacillus acidophilus NCIM 2908

Conclusion

Lactic acid bacteria are widely known for their probiotic attributes. The probiotic potential of effective antimicrobial lactic acid bacterial strains, specifically Lactiplantibacillus pentosus UASBMIC_18 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum UASBMIC_22 were evaluated. This study marks the first documentation of lactic acid bacterial strains from sweet corn exhibiting probiotic characteristics. The results suggest that these lactic acid bacterial strains isolated from sweet corn possess favourable probiotic properties. They also exhibited non haemolytic activity, indicating their safety in consumption.

References

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How to cite this article

M.S. Yashaswini, Suvarna, V.C., Banu Deshpande, Shashank S. and Arpitha T. (2023). Probiotic Attributes of Lactic Acid Bacterial Isolates of Sweet Corn (Zea mays L. saccharata). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(10): 1586-1595.