Probiotic Properties of Lactobacillus plantarum L4

Jagoda Šušković, Blaženka Kos, Srećko Matošić, Vladimir Marić

Department of Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology. University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Article history:
Received March 11, 1997
Accepted June 13, 1997

Key words:
probiotic effect, lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus plantarum

Summary:
Lactobacillus plantarum is used as starter culture for vegetable fermentation, olives conservation, ensiling and probiotic preparations for humans and animals. For the administration of probiotics to humans or animals, strains of lactic acid bacteria should be resistant to the specific conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. The strain Lactobacillus plantarum L4 was examined for probiotic activities in experiments in vitro. The culture supernatant of L. plantarum L4 showed antimicrobial activity against enteropathogcnic, spore-forming and fungal test microorganisms. That activity was higher than the antimicrobial activity of the corresponding concentration of lactic acid alone. At low pH values of the medium and in the presence of lysozyme and substances such as phenol and bile salts, bacterium L. plantarum L4 showed a satisfactory degree of survival. Its resistance against different antibiotics that are often used in therapy was confirmed by determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration.