Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of Lactobacillus plantarum EM as a starter culture to control cabbage–apple juice fermentation and to explore the cholesterol‐lowering effects of the fermented juice (EM juice) in rats. L. plantarum EM produced strong antimicrobial activities against bacteria and fungi, suppressing other microorganisms in the fermented juice, and was the dominant organism during fermentation and storage. The EM juice also showed strong and broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activity. Rats fed a high‐fat and high‐cholesterol diet and administered EM juice showed significantly reduced total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, and LDL‐cholesterol levels, as well as a reduced atherogenic index, lower cardiac factors in serum, and lower TC levels in the liver, while total lipid and TC levels in the rat feces increased. Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the hepatic mRNA expression of HMG‐CoA reductase decreased and the expressions of cholesterol 7α‐hydroxylase and low‐density lipoprotein receptor increased in rats administered EM juice. The effects of EM juice on rats included inhibition of cholesterol synthesis as well as enhancement of cholesterol uptake and cholesterol excretion. The results of this study indicate that the use of L. plantarum EM as a functional starter culture for juice fermentation exerts microbial control, enhances sanitary safety, and provides beneficial food effects against hypercholesterolemia.
Highlights
The Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare has reported that 11.9%, 15.9%, and 17.6% of Koreans over 30 years of age suffer from diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia, respectively (Ministry of Health & Welfare, 2013)
The ATCC strains were purchased from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), whereas the KCCM strains were acquired from the Korean Culture Center of Microorganisms (KCCM)
Total microorganisms and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the control juice were enumerated, and their morphologies were evaluated on plates (PCA, Man Rogosa Sharpe (MRS), and MRS + 2% CaCO3) after cultivation at 30°C for 24–48 hr
Summary
The Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare has reported that 11.9%, 15.9%, and 17.6% of Koreans over 30 years of age suffer from diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia, respectively (Ministry of Health & Welfare, 2013). Some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been reported to have cholesterol‐lowering effects in animals and humans (Bosch et al, 2014; Jeun et al, 2010; Jo, Choi, Lee, & Chang, 2015; Lee et al, 2010). Fermented foods can have enhanced nutritional and functional properties as a result of the formation of bioactive end‐products during fermentation (Marco et al, 2017). The production of fermented foods derived by using a functional starter culture can be expected to provide additional benefits such as improved product shelf‐life and safety, as well as organoleptic, nutritional, or health‐related advantages (Leroy & De Vuyst, 2004). The specific goals of this study were to determine the ability of L. plantarum EM to control juice fermentation and to investigate the health‐promoting (cholesterol‐lowering) effects of EM juice in high‐fat and high‐cholesterol diet‐induced hypercholesterolemic rats
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