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Thirty-six lactic acid bacteria belong to Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Pediococcus were isolated, and the spectrum of antifungal activity was verified against Fusarium oxysporum (KACC 42109), Aspergillus niger (KACC 42589), Fusarium moniliforme (KACC 08141), Penicillium chrysogenum (NII 08137), and the yeast Candida albicans (MTCC 3017). Three isolates, identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus (TG2), Lactobacillus casei (DY2), and Lactococcus (BSN) were selected further, and their antifungal compounds were identified by ESI-MS and HPLC analysis as a range of carboxylic acids along with some unidentified, higher molecular weight compounds. An attempt to check out the shelf life extension of wheat bread without fungal spoilage was performed by fermenting the dough with the Lactococcus isolate. Apart from growth in low pH and tolerance to bile salts, probiotic potential of these three isolates was further substantiated by in vitro screening methods that include transit tolerance to the conditions in the upper human gastrointestinal tract and bacterial adhesion capacity to human intestinal cell lines.

Five newly isolated lactic acid bacteria were identified as Weissella cibaria, Enterococcus faecium, and three different strains of Lactobacillus plantarum by 16S rRNA sequencing. Essential probiotic requirements of these isolates such as tolerance to phenol, low pH, high sodium chloride, and bile salt concentration were checked. Efficiency in adherence to mucin and hydrophobicity of the bacterial cell were also evaluated by in vitro studies. Antimicrobial activities against some pathogens were tried, and the sensitivity of these strains against 25 different antibiotics was also checked. Further studies revealed Weissella and Enterococcus as substantial producers of folic acid. Folate is involved as a cofactor in many metabolic reactions, and it has to be an essential component in the human diet. The folate level in the fermented samples was determined by microbiological assay using Lactobacillus casei NCIM 2364 as indicator strain. The three strains of L. plantarum showed significant inhibitory activity against various fungi that commonly contaminate food stuffs indicating their potential as a biopreservative of food material.

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