Background: The purpose of our study was to investigate both qualitatively and quantitatively the microbial content of probiotic products licensed for medicinal purposes.
Material/methods: Microbiological analysis was performed on five different brands of probiotic products that claimed to contain lactobacilli and/or bifidobacteria. The species were determined based on phenotypic characters, using API 50CH, API 20A, and API rapid ID 32A kits. Bacterial strains belonging to the Bifidobacterium genus were further identified using genotypic methods (amplification of specific DNA fragments by PCR and analysis of their nucleotide sequences). The products were also analyzed for pathogenic bacteria. The number of microorganisms contained in four of the products was determined using the plate-count method and the most-probable-number method. The actual and claimed content of probiotic products was analyzed statistically.
Results: Microbiological and genetic analysis showed that, in terms of quality, only three of the five products contained the bacterial strains claimed on the label. None of the tested products contained pathogens. Quantitative analysis demonstrated that 57 of 64 samples (89% [95% CI: 81-97]) contained bacterial counts at the cell densities (doses) claimed on the label.
Conclusions: Our study demonstrates unsatisfactory qualitative microbiological specification in the tested products. However, there was good quantitative agreement with the labeling. Our findings indicate that regulations governing the labeling of probiotic products are urgently required.
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Biotechnol Lett
January 2025
Extremophile and Productive Microorganisms Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, No. 20 Dongda Street, Beijing, 100071, Fengtai District, China.
Human β-defensin (HBD) has been recognized as a promising antimicrobial agent due to its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against various pathogens. In our previous work, we engineered a chimeric human β-defensin, designated H4, by fusing human β-defensin 3 and human β-defensin 4, resulting in enhanced antimicrobial activity and salt stability. However, the high cost of chemical synthesis due to the relatively large number of amino acids in H4 has limited its applications.
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State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China. Electronic address:
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College of Life Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China. Electronic address:
Nutritional modification strategies have become pivotal in addressing heat stress in poultry farming. Probiotics are increasingly recognized as a sustainable additive by researchers. The enhancement of antioxidant capacity is critical for improving the overall health and productivity of broilers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeerJ
January 2025
Centro de Tecnologia e Desenvolvimento Regional, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.
Background: Fruits are sources of bioactive compounds such as phenolics that bring health benefits to consumers. The addition of fruit products and microorganisms with probiotic potential in fermented goat milk can facilitate the acquisition of these benefits through diet. In this sense, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of incorporating a mixture of ingredients from jaboticaba (), jambolana (), and mandacaru () fruits on fermentation parameters (pH, titratable acidity, viability of the native culture CNPC003 and the starter culture), associated with pigmentation (phenolic compound content and color) through experimental mixture design.
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