Probiotic Potential of Strains Isolated From Fermented Vegetables in Shaanxi, China.

The objective of this study was to assess probiotic potential of strains derived from artisanal fermented vegetables in Shaanxi, China. In total, 74 acid-producing Gram-positive strains with rod-shaped under the microscope were isolated from 16 samples of spontaneously fermented vegetables. Out of 74 strains, 26 showed high survival rate under low pH and high bile salts conditions and were subjected to molecular identification by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. The results showed that 15 isolates belonged to , 9 isolates belonged to , and the 2 remaining strains belonged to . The 24 strains were investigated for their survival rate to transit simulated gastrointestinal tract, cell surface hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, co-aggregation with pathogen, adhesion to Caco-2, antimicrobial activity, antibiotics susceptibility, radical scavenging ability, α-glucosidase inhibition, and the cholesterol assimilation. The results showed that the probiotic characteristics were strain-dependent, and several strains exhibited great probiotic potential with specific health benefits, which indicated that they might be excellent candidates for production of functional foods. Interestingly, it was first found that generally had higher antibacterial activities, α-glucosidase inhibition ability, and antibiotics susceptibility compared to in this study. The results indicated that strains isolated from fermented vegetables in Shaanxi, China, could be exploited as a promising novel probiotic source.