Characterization of the antiyeast compound and probiotic properties of a starter Lactobacillus plantarum DW3 for possible use in fermented plant beverages

Duangporn Kantachote*
Department of Microbiology
Faculty of Science
Prince of Songkla University
Hat-Yai 90112, Thailand
E-mail: duangporn.k@psu.ac.th

Pakorn Prachyakij
Department of Microbiology
Faculty of Science
Prince of Songkla University
Hat-Yai 90112, Thailand

Wilawan Charernjiratrakul
Department of Microbiology
Faculty of Science
Prince of Songkla University
Hat-Yai 90112, Thailand

Metta Ongsakul
Department of Microbiology
Faculty of Science
Prince of Songkla University
Hat-Yai 90112, Thailand

Yodsawee Duangjitcharoen
Department of Pharmaceutical Science
Faculty of Pharmacy
Chiang Mai University
Muang District 50200, Thailand

Chaiyavat Chaiyasut
Department of Pharmaceutical Science
Faculty of Pharmacy
Chiang Mai University
Muang District 50200, Thailand 

Teruhiko Nitoda
The Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology
Okayama University
Okayama 7008530, Japan

Hiroshi Kanzaki
The Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology
Okayama University
Okayama 7008530, Japan

Website: http://www.psu.ac.th

*Corresponding author

Financial support: This work was supported by National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand and the project numbers are CO-B-22-2C-10-483 and CO-B-22-2C-18-4801 including the Graduate School, Prince of Songkla University.

Keywords: fermented plant beverage, Lactobacillus plantarum, phenyllactic acid, probiotics, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, weight control.

Lactobacillus plantarum DW3 produced antifungal compounds that inhibited the growth of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa DKA, contaminating yeast in fermented plant beverages (FPBs) and various potential human pathogens. Phenyllactic acid (PLA) identified by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was produced at 31 mg/L PLA in MRS medium and 5 mg/ml inhibited growth of the target yeast in vitro by 90%. Other inhibitors were also present but not specifically identified. Results of in vitro tests showed that DW3 also had probiotic properties as it survived various human biological barriers resistance to pH 3, bile salts, growth without vitamin B₁₂ and the presence and absence of oxygen. Its inhibitory effect against food borne pathogenic bacteria and spoilage organisms was higher than that found for a commercial strain Lactobacillus casei R. An acute oral toxicity test on ICR mice at a high single dose of either 10⁹ and 10¹² cells per mouse for 14 days showed that DW3 had no adverse effect on the general health status and there was no evidence of bacteremia. Mice fed DW3 had a reduced weight gain compared to the control. No significant difference (p > 0.05) was found for the spleen weight index (SWI) among the treatment and control groups whereas there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) for the liver weight ratio (LWR) in a group fed with 10¹² cells per mouse when compared with the control group.