title: Characterization of amygdalin-degrading Lactobacillus species.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cyanogenic glycosides are phytotoxic secondary metabolites produced by some crop plants. The aim of this study was to identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) capable of catabolizing amygdalin, a model cyanogenic glycoside, for use in the biodetoxification of amygdalin-containing foods and feeds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amygdalin-catabolizing lactobacilli were characterized using a combination of cultivation-dependent and molecular assays. Lactobacillus paraplantarum and Lactobacillus plantarum grew robustly on amygdalin (Amg(+)), while other LAB species typically failed to catabolize amygdalin (Amg(-)). Interestingly, high concentrations of amygdalin and two of its metabolic derivatives (mandelonitrile and benzaldehyde) inhibited the growth of Lact. plantarum RENO 0093. The differential regulation of genes tentatively involved in cyanohydrin metabolism illustrated that the metabolism of amygdalin- and glucose-grown cultures also differed significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Amygdalin fermentation was a relatively uncommon phenotype among the LAB and generally limited to strains from the Lact. plantarum group. Phenotype microarrays (PM) enabled strain-level discrimination between closely related strains within a species and suggested that phenotypic differences might affect niche specialization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Amygdalin-degrading lactobacilli with practical application in the biodetoxification of amygdalin were characterized. These strains show potential for use as starter cultures to improve the safety of foods and feeds.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Food Science Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Menon
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Munjal
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sturino
mesh_terms: D000678:Amygdalin / Q000378:metabolism*; D005285:Fermentation; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D048191:Lactiplantibacillus plantarum / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D009570:Nitriles; C430593:cyanohydrin; D000678:Amygdalin
keywords: Lactobacillus; amygdalin; biodetoxification; cyanogenic glycoside; diagnostic microbiology; food and feed safety; phenotype microarrays