Identification and characterisation of lactobacilli isolated from Kimere, a spontaneously fermented pearl millet dough from Mbeere, Kenya (East Africa)

Abstract

The objective of the study was to isolate potential probiotic lactobacilli from Kimere, a pearl millet dough prepared in the Mbeere community of Kenya, East Africa, by fermentation for 18-24 hours. Kimere samples, collected from 11 different homesteads in Mbeere, showed average pH values of 3.63±0.29. Counts of presumptive lactobacilli were 8.52±0.02 log10 colony forming units per gram, respectively. 48 presumptive Lactobacillus isolates were characterised and identified by biochemical and molecular methods. Lactobacillus fermentum (46 isolates) was the dominant Lactobacillus species detected. Analysis of strain diversity with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis indicated relatively large biodiversity among L. fermentum isolates. All L. fermentum isolates were able to grow in MRS medium containing 0.3% ox gall. Twelve of them were able to grow in the presence of 3% ox gall, and of these 60% survived incubation at pH 3 in the presence of 2 mg pepsin per ml for three hours.

Suppression subtractive hybridization identifies bacterial genomic regions that are possibly involved in hBD‐2 regulation by enterocytes

“…In this study we found that some strains of L. fermentum , isolated from Kimere 13, enhanced hBD‐2 secretion by intestinal epithelial cell line CaCo‐2 in time‐, dose‐, and particularly strain‐specific manner. Among 11 tested strains only two, namely L. fermentum strains K2‐Lb6 and K11‐Lb3, significantly induced hBD‐2 secretion.…”

“…Previously, we isolated and characterized 46 strains of L. fermentum from various Kimere samples, collected from 11 different homesteats in the Mbeere community of Kenya 13 using different molecular biology methods 14. Briefly; Lactobacillus isolates were characterized and identified using biochemical methods such as carbohydrate fermentation patterns, API 50 CHL, growth temperatures, acid and bile salt tolerance, Gram and catalase reaction, and molecular methods such as species‐specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), amplified rDNA restriction analysis (ARDRA), and partial sequencing of the 16S rDNA.…”

“…Despite the existence of these relevant data, however, the molecular basis on which the induction of the production of hBD‐2 is found is unknown. Therefore, in this study we aimed at (i) evaluating the potential immunomodulatory effects on the hBD‐2 secretion by human intestinal CaCo‐2 cell line of 11 different Lactobacillus fermentum strains, which we described recently 13 and (ii) examinating genetic differences between the two L. fermentum K11‐Lb3 and K2‐Lb4 strains, with different hBD‐2‐inducing properties, in order to identify candidates genes potentially responsible for mediating hBD‐2 modulatory effect. Subtracted cDNA libraries for L. fermentum strains K2‐Lb4 (hBD2‐nonstimulating strain) and K11‐Lb3 (hBD2‐stimulating strain) were constructed using SSH.…”

African fermented foods and probiotics

“…The idea is for LAB capable of producing B vitamins to be used to fortify cereal based foods (Turpin et al, 2011). A study by Njeru et al (2010) showed that L. fermentum was also the dominant species isolated in kimere, a spontaneously fermented pearl millet dough produced in Kenya. All the L. fermentum strains were able to grow in vitro in medium containing 0.3% oxgall and 12 strains even grew in the presence of 3% oxgall.…”

“…Among the lactobacilli, L. plantarum and L. fermentum strains are particularly predominant in many traditional African fermentations (Mbugua, 1985;Olsen et al, 1995;Hounhouigan et al, 1993;Kostinek et al, 2005;Abriouel et al, 2006;Vizoso Pinto et al, 2006;Padonou et al, 2009;Njeru et al, 2010;Yousif et al, 2010;Oguntoyinbo and Narbad, 2012;Owusu-Kwarteng et al, 2012). The well-documented L. plantarum strain 299 V (Probi AB, Lund, Sweden) has been sold in some African countries for a few years, albeit in expensive capsule form, while less documented L. fermentum VRI003 (PCC) (Probiomics, Eveleigh, Australia) is also commercially available (Bhadoria and Mahapatra, 2011).…”