Abstract:
Hypercholesterolemia is one of the major risk factors related to global health problems. Probiotics with cholesterol-lowering activity can improve cholesterol metabolism without any adverse effects. In this study, seventeen lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from traditional Thai foods exhibited the ability to produce bile salt hydrolase (BSH) and assimilate cholesterol. From these isolates, Lactobacillus reuteri TF-7, Enterococcus faecium TF-18, and Bifidobacterium animalis TA-1 were selected for cholesterol-lowering LAB candidates due to their robust cholesterol reduction activity with different genera. Furthermore, these strains had proven to be safe and expressed different characteristics. L. reuteri TF-7 could produce gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), whereas B. animalis TA-1 was the most potent antioxidant strain. Moreover, all three LAB strains could tolerate under the acid and bile salt conditions, and adhered to the intestinal epithelial cells. According to these findings, three LAB strains are potential cholesterol-lowering probiotics, which can be applied as probiotic supplements. © 2021, Prince of Songkla University. All rights reserved.