Probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria isolated from food samples: an in vitro study

Probiotics are the health promoting viable microorganisms that exhibit a beneficial effect on the health of human being by improving the intestinal microbial balance. Probiotic bacteria may produce various compounds, which are inhibitory to the growth of pathogen, which include organic acids (lactic and acetic acids), bacteriocins, and reuterin. In the present study a total of 17 food samples were collected for isolation of lactic acid bacteria. A total of 26 isolates of lactic acid bacteria were purified and screened for their antimicrobial activity against seven human pathogenic MTCC strains counting three test fungal strains such as Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus sp. and Candida albicans and four test bacterial strains (two Gram-negative namely Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica ser. typhi and two Gram-positive Staphylococcus epidermidis and Bacillus amyloliquifaciens). Out of 26, eight isolates were considered for further analysis of probiotic potential whose antimicrobial activity was found to be good against maximum number of tested strains. The selected lactic acid bacteria exhibited excellent probiotic characteristics and thus can be used as a potential source of probiotic. Study affirms their use in the development of new pharmaceutical preparations and functional foods belonging to vegetables and fruits (as origin) as probiotics for the betterment of public health.