Potential Cholesterol-Reducing Effects of Lactobacillus pentosus 3G3 and Lactobacillus fermentum 4B1 from Fermented Foods of Central Luzon

Abstract

This study examined the cholesterol-reducing effects of probiotic Lactobacillus pentosus 3G3 and Lactobacillus fermentum 4B1zh vitro and in vivo. The ability of these strains to assimilate cholesterol using cholesterol assimilation assay in MRS medium in the presence of cholesterol and ox bile showed both strains with cholesterol-reducing ability. Isolate 3G3 was found to be the strain that reduced the higher amount of cholesterol in both 0.2% and 0.4% ox bile concentrations at 15.24% and 12.49%, respectively. For the in vivo assay, Swiss Albino mice were fed a diet enriched with fat to produce hypercholesterolemia. The administration of strain 3G3 to hypercholesterolemic mice decreased HDL, LDL and total cholesterol as compared to the hypercholesterolemic group and produced serum cholesterol concentrations similar to that of the control group. Total cholesterol for the probiotics group (8.271 pg/ml) was lower than the hypercholesterolemic group (12.480pg/ml) and almost at the same level as the control group (8.075 pg/ml). HDL cholesterol of the probiotics group (4.922pg/ml) was lower than the hypercholesterolemic group (7.347 pg/ml) and higher than the control group (4.379 pg/ml). LDL cholesterol for the control group (3.696 pg/ml) was lower than the hypercholesterolemic group (5.134 pg/ml), but was higher than the probiotics group (3.349 pg/ml). However, the probiotic group had an HDL to LDL ratio ([HDL/[LDL]) that was 7.5% and 25% higher than that of the hypercholesterolemic and control groups respectively. These data suggested that oral administration of strain 3G3 offers potential in preventing hypercholesterolemia.