Exopolysaccharides produced by Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains abrogate in vitro the cytotoxic effect of bacterial toxins on eukaryotic cells.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the capability of the exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by lactobacilli and bifidobacteria from human and dairy origin to antagonize the cytotoxic effect of bacterial toxins.


RESULTS
The cytotoxicity of Bacillus cereus extracellular factors on Caco-2 colonocytes in the presence/absence of the EPS was determined by measuring the integrity of the tissue monolayer and the damage to the cell membrane (extracellular lactate dehydrogenase activity). Additionally, the protective effect of EPS against the haemolytic activity of the streptolysin-O was evaluated on rabbit erythrocytes. The EPS produced by Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis A1 and IPLA-R1, Bifidobacterium longum NB667 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG were able to counteract the toxic effect of bacterial toxins on the eukaryotic cells at 1mg ml(-1) EPS concentration. The EPS A1 was the most effective in counteracting the effect of B. cereus toxins on colonocytes, even at lower doses (0·5mg ml(-1) ), whereas EPS NB667 elicited the highest haemolysis reduction on erythrocytes.


CONCLUSIONS
The production of EPS by lactobacilli and bifidobacteria could antagonize the toxicity of bacterial pathogens, this effect being EPS and biological marker dependent.


CONCLUSIONS
This work allows gaining insight about the mechanisms that probiotics could exert to improve the host health.
Ruas-Madiedo
P
P
Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry of Dairy Products, Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPLA-CSIC), Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain. ruas-madiedo@ipla.csic.es
Medrano
M
M
Salazar
N
N
De Los Reyes-Gavilán
C G
CG
Pérez
P F
PF
Abraham
A G
AG
D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000378:metabolism*; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000378:metabolism*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial