Probiotic potential of Lactobacillus fermentum G-4 originating from the meconium of newborns

The present study was dedicated to determining probiotic potential of a human isolate G-4, originated from meconium. The isolate was identified using morphological, physiological and biochemical assays and molecular method based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In order to evaluate its probiotic properties in vitro tests were performed: the survival in simulated gastrointestinal conditions, adhesion to hexadecane, and antimicrobial activity. Safety aspects of the isolate were examined by testing toxicity, gastrointestinal tolerance and bacterial translocation in vivo, as well as hemolytic activity in vitro. The isolate G-4, identified as Lactobacillus fermentum, showed viability in artificial gastric and intestinal juice (low degree of cell viability reduction for 0.69 and 1.30 logCFU mL(-1) units, respectively), moderate adhesion to hexadecane (39 +/- 2.1 %), and antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Abony and Clostridium sporogenes, due to production of lactic acid (9.80 g L-1). No signs of toxicity, bacterial translocation, hemolytic activity, were observed