title: Probiotic Properties of Lactobacillus fermentum Strains Isolated from Human Oral Samples and Description of their Antibacterial Activity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gram positive bacteria produce peptides, defined bacteriocins which exhibit good antibacterial activity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the ability of L. fermentum to produce bacteriocins having therefore, good probiotic features and finally, be safe towards microglial cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight wild strains, identified using molecular techniques, were investigated for the evaluation of resistance to bile salts, low pH, H2O2 production, biofilm formation, antibacterial activity and safety on microglia cells (BV2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The determination of the susceptibility/resistance profile showed that the strains are sensitive to the antibiotics tested. All strains showed a good tolerability to extremely low pH as well as resisting in presence of bile salts. In addition, the strains showed excellent activity against pathogens and one of them (LAC 42) showed activity also against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Finally, LAC 42 and its active compound did not change microglia cell viability following 24h exposure. Our data on this antibacterial molecule suggest that it is a compound with low molecular weight and with highly hydrophilic component.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results describe the characteristics of Lactobacillus strains and provide evidences for their possible use as new potential probiotic. In addition, other studies are now warranted to exploit the antibacterial activity of the supernatant LAC 42 and for its complete chemical characterization.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fuochi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences BIOMETEC Sec. Medical Biochemistry, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni Li
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Volti
authors.forename: Pio M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Furneri
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects; D052197:Limosilactobacillus fermentum / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D019936:Probiotics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001430:Bacteriocins; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide
keywords: Antibacterial activity; Lactobacillus; cytotoxicity; probiotics; resistance; sensitivity test