RESUMOO potencial probiótico in vitro de 12 amostras de bactérias ácido-láticas (11 Lactobacillus spp. e uma Weissella paramesenteroides), isoladas de queijo-de-minas artesanal da Serra da Canastra, foi investigado. Essas amostras foram caracterizadas in vitro quanto à susceptibilidade a antimicrobianos, antagonismo contra microrganismos de referência patogênicos e não patogênicos e sensibilidade a pH gástrico e sais biliares. (Gilliland, 1985).

RESUMOAmostras de queijo de minas artesanal foram coletadas em 18 queijarias localizadas em propriedades rurais da região da Serra da Canastra, Minas Gerais, com o objetivo de avaliar a influência da altitude sobre a população de bactérias acidolácticas. As queijarias estavam distribuídas nas altitudes de 600 a 900m, 900 a 1000m e mais de 1000m. Observaram-se populações mais elevadas de bactérias acidolácticas nas amostras de queijo da altitude de 600 a 900m. Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus casei e Lactobacillus plantarum foram os principais microrganismos isolados e identificados por PCR ARDRA 16S-23S rDNA, além de Enterococcus spp., Lactococcus spp. e outras espécies de Lactobacillus. Sugere-se que estas espécies estejam adaptadas ao ambiente de produção do queijo de minas artesanal produzido na região, o que resultaria em características sensoriais próprias do produto. Palavras-chave: queijo, altitude, bactérias acidolácticas, 16S-23S rDNA ABSTRACT Samples of minas artisanal cheese were collected in 18 small

Mucositis is a clinically important gastrointestinal inflammatory infirmity, generated by antineoplastic drugs cytotoxic effects. The inflammatory process caused by this disease frequently leads to derangements in the alimentary tract and great malaise for the patient. Novel strategies are necessary for its prevention or treatment, as currently available treatments of mucositis have several limitations in relieving its symptoms. In this context, several research groups have investigated the use of probiotic bacteria, and in particular dairy bacterial strains. Compelling evidences reveal that milk fermented by certain probiotic bacteria has the capacity to ameliorate intestinal inflammatory disorders. In addition, innovative probiotic delivery strategies, based on probiotics incorporation into protective matrices, such as whey proteins, were able to increase the therapeutic effect of probiotic strains by providing extra protection for bacteria against environmental stresses. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the role of the whey protein isolate (WPI), when added to skim milk fermented by Lactobacillus casei BL23 (L. casei BL23) or by Propionibacterium freudenreichii CIRM-BIA138 (P. freudenreichii 138), as a protective matrix against in vitro stress challenges. In addition, we investigated the therapeutic effect of these fermented beverages in a murine model of mucositis induced by 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). Our results demonstrated that milk supplementation with 30% (w/v) of WPI increases the survival rate of both strains when challenged with acid, bile salts, high temperature and cold storage stresses, compared to fermented skim milk without the addition of WPI. Moreover, treatment with the probiotic beverages prevented weight loss and intestinal damages in mice receiving 5-FU. We conclude that the presence of WPI maximizes the anti-inflammatory effects of L. casei BL23, but not for P. freudenreichii 138, suggesting that whey protein enhancement of probiotic activity might be strain-dependent.

From the birth, since their mucosal microbiota and immune system are not fully developed, newborn calves are susceptible to several mucosal pathogenic microorganisms. Operating through humoral and non-humoral mechanisms in the host, several lactic acid bacteria strains bearing probiotic features are often employed in livestock as food supplement, improving animal production performance, promoting health and reducing the severity of mucosal infections. Accordingly, we isolated, species-level identified and screened for their probiotic potentials seventy lactic acid bacteria strains from upper airway, vaginal and intestinal mucosa of healthy calves. Based on in vitro approaches, we selected three strains: Lactobacillus fermentum V3B-08 isolated from upper airway mucosa, Weissella hellenica V1V-30 isolated from vaginal mucosa and Lactobacillus farciminis B4F-06 isolated from intestinal mucosa were used to mono-colonize germ-free mice in the same site in which these strains were isolated, aiming to characterize their immunomodulatory features. These strains were able to colonize germ-free mice mucosa and trigger sIgA synthesis at a local level, in addition to stimulating, in different ways, adaptive immune responses at a systemic level.

Although dysbiosis in the gut microbiota is known to be involved in several inflammatory diseases, whether any specific bacterial taxa control host response to inflammatory stimuli is still elusive. Here, we hypothesized that dysbiotic indigenous taxa could be involved in modulating host response to inflammatory triggers. To test this hypothesis, we conducted experiments in germ-free (GF) mice and in mice colonized with dysbiotic taxa identified in conventional (CV) mice subjected to chemotherapy-induced mucositis. First, we report that the absence of microbiota decreased inflammation and damage in the small intestine after administration of the chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Also, 5-FU induced a shift in CV microbiota resulting in higher amounts of Enterobacteriaceae, including E. coli, in feces and small intestine and tissue damage. Prevention of Enterobacteriaceae outgrowth by treating mice with ciprofloxacin resulted in diminished 5-FU-induced tissue damage, indicating that this bacterial group is necessary for 5-FU-induced inflammatory response. In addition, monocolonization of germ-free (GF) mice with E. coli led to reversal of the protective phenotype during 5-FU chemotherapy. E. coli monocolonization decreased the basal plasma corticosterone levels and blockade of glucocorticoid receptor in GF mice restored inflammation upon 5-FU treatment. In contrast, treatment of CV mice with ciprofloxacin, that presented reduction of Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli content, induced an increase in corticosterone levels. Altogether, these findings demonstrate that Enterobacteriaceae outgrowth during dysbiosis impacts inflammation and tissue injury in the small intestine. Importantly, indigenous Enterobacteriaceae modulates host production of the anti-inflammatory steroid corticosterone and, consequently, controls inflammatory responsiveness in mice.