Abstract:
Cholesterol-lowering properties of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been of much interest in hopes of utilizing probiotics in the management of cardiovascular diseases. In this regard, this study aims to determine and compare the effects of Pediococcus acidilactici 3G3 and the product of its fermentation on cholesterol levels in vitro. A 0.3% (w/v) ox bile concentration was used to mimic approximate level in the intestinal tract which was added to cholesterol to evaluate the cholesterol-lowing ability of the 3G3 strain alone, the non-fermented dark chocolate drink, and the 3G3-fermented dark chocolate drink which contained >10⁹ cfu/ml of bacteria using a spectrophotometric method after 48 hours of incubation. Statistical analyses have shown that there is a significant difference between: (1) the bacterial strain alone and the uninoculated dark chocolate drink; and (2) the fermented and non-fermented drinks (p<0.05) indicating that 3G3 and fermented drink successfully assimilated cholesterol. It has also been shown that the difference between the bacterial strain alone and the fermented probiotic drink setups was insignificant, indicating that the strain is the causative agent for the reduction in cholesterol levels in either medium (MRS or dark chocolate drink). Based on these findings alone, Pediococcus acidilactici 3G3 strain and the products of its fermentation may have the potential to successfully reduce cholesterol levels. Further investigations using animal models may support and strengthen this claim.
