Screening and Characterization of <i>Lactobacillus</i> sp. from the Water of Cassava’s Fermentation for Selection as Probiotics

<p>The present study aimed to evaluate selected probiotic properties of <i>Lactobacilli</i> isolated from the water of submerged cassava fermentation. Following <i>Lactobacilli</i> isolation, isolates were screened for their antimicrobial activity. Acid and bile tolerances, bile salt hydrolase (Bsh) activity spectrum were assessed. Among the 113 isolates obtained, 16 showed a broad antimicrobial activity spectrum against the indicator microorganisms. From these 16, 12 were found acid and bile resistant. They hydrolyzed glycoconjugated or tauroconjugated bile salts. From the four bile Bsh genes screened, only Bsh-Lp1 was found in five isolates. They identified as <i>Lactobacillus paraplantarum</i>, <i>Lactobacillus paracasei</i>, <i>Lactobacillus brevis</i>, and <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i>. Based on the principal component analysis, <i>L. paracasei</i> 62L, <i>L. plantarum</i> 85L and 86L were selected as the most promising strains. These results suggest that water from submerged cassava fermentation can be a source of <i>Lactobacilli</i> with high probiotic potential.</p