Aims: This study was designed to select lactic acid bacteria with histamine- and cholesterol-reducing abilities to be used as potential probiotics.
Methods and results: Thirty strains of lactic acid bacteria isolated from an artisanal raw milk cheese were screened for their abilities to degrade histamine, reduce cholesterol and hydrolyse bile salts. Strains were also screened for safety and probiotic traits, such as resistance to gastrointestinal conditions, adhesion to Caco-2 cells, resistance to antibiotics and presence of virulence genes. Two Lactobacillus paracasei strains presented high cholesterol- and histamine-lowering abilities, tested negative for the presence of virulence genes and showed susceptibility to most important antibiotics. These strains were also shown to possess desirable in vitro probiotic properties, revealed by tolerance to gastrointestinal conditions and high adhesion to intestinal cells.
Conclusions: Among the screened strains, Lb. paracasei L3C21M6 revealed the best cholesterol and histamine reducing abilities together with desirable probiotic and safety features to be used in food applications.
Significance and impact of the study: The strain L3C21M6 is a good candidate for use as a probiotic with histamine-degrading activity and cholesterol lowering effect. In addition, this strain could be use in dairy foods to prevent histamine food poisoning.
Keywords: cheese; cholesterol; histamine; lactic acid bacteria; probiotic.
© 2020 The Society for Applied Microbiology.