Abstract
Probiotics are live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. Human-origin Lactobacillus is a preferable source of probiotic bacteria. This study screened 14 vaginal Lactobacillus strains as probiotic candidates by investigating probiotic-related cell surface characteristics including cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), Lewis acidity/basicity, autoaggregation, and biofilm formation. Moderate to high CSH and autoaggregation, high basicity and low acidity were prevalent in the 14 tested strains. Biofilm formation varied in a large range among the 14 tested strains. CSH showed a high correlation with Lewis acidity and autoaggregation, while Lewis acidity was highly correlated with autoaggregation and biofilm formation. Four strains were selected as promising probiotic strains. This study was the first one to compare antibiotic sensitivity between biofilm-forming cells and planktonic cells of Lactobacillus species, and found that biofilm-forming cells of a L. fermentum strain had a significantly higher survival rate than planktonic cells in cefotaxime, cefmetazole and tetracycline, but were as sensitive to oxacillin and ampicillin as planktonic cells were.
Highlights
This study screened 14 vaginal Lactobacillus strains as probiotic candidates by investigating probiotic-related cell surface characteristics including cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), Lewis acidity/basicity, autoaggregation, and biofilm formation
CSH and Lewis acidity/basicity of 14 vaginal Lactobacillus strains were quantified by Microbial adhesion to solvents (MATS) assay
A study by Klimko et al suggested the absence of correlation between high hydrophobicity and intense biofilm formation [16], but analysis of data from the 14 Lactobacillus strains in the current study suggested that biofilm formation was highly correlated with Lewis acidity, and moderately correlated with CSH, Lewis basicity and autoaggregation (Table 2)
Summary
Amounts confer a health benefit on the host [1]. Lactobacillus spp. are widely used as probiotic bacteria, and their application in foods are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) [2]. Probiotic potential of Lactobacillus spp. is closely related to the cell surface characteristics including cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), cell surface charge, and abilities of autoaggregation and forming biofilm, which are widely used for in vitro characterization and screening of probiotic strains [3]-[8]. Bacterial CSH influenced the strength of bacterial adhesion to the host tissues, so is important for probiotic bacteria to confer health benefit to the host [8]. It was believed that hydrophobic nature of cell surface could facilitate colonization and adhesion of bacteria to the epithelium of gastrointestinal tract of a host [9]. Some studies even showed correlation between CSH and adhesion ability in Lactobacillus [7]
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