Exploring the probiotic potentiality and antibacterial activity of idli batter isolates of lactic acid bacteria from West Bengal, India

Abstract

BackgroundThe lactic acid bacteria (LAB), from diverse sources, are of great importance as probiotics, and several authors from around the globe have reported LAB, isolated from various fermented foods, as potential antimicrobial agents. The current study explored the antibacterial activity and probiotic property of idli batter isolates of LAB, for the first time from Malda (West Bengal, India).ResultsThe LAB procured from fresh and fermented idli batter samples had antibacterial activity against pathogenic as well as food-borne bacteria with zone diameter of inhibition of 16, 18 and 23 mm with concentrations 25, 50 and 75 μl/well, respectively, as determined by agar-well diffusion method. The identification of isolated LAB was executed through biochemical tests, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The LAB isolates from fresh idli batter: LMEM1001 and LMEM1002, showed maximum (96.81% and 95.20%, respectively) similarities with Lactiplantibacillus pentosus and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, respectively, whereas the fermented idli batter isolates, LMEM1006 and LMEM1008, showed maximum (96.11% and 98.40%, respectively) similarities with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Limosilactobacillus fermentum, respectively. Safety profiling of isolated LAB was executed using antibiogram, DNase and gelatinase tests.ConclusionsThe idli batter-derived lactobacilli have been demonstrated as good probiotics, which displayed excellent antibacterial activity against clinical and food-borne bacteria. Overall, the idli batter isolates of LAB might be useful as probiotics for human consumption and as biotherapeutics in combating bacterial antibiotic resistance.