Bacteriocin production of probiotic Lactobacillus gasseri LA39 isolated from human feces in milk-based media

The use of bacteriocins from Lactobacillus gasseri, a probiotic lactic acid bacterium, as bio-preservatives in the food industry and animal formulations has been limited because few strains of Lb. gasseri are cultivated and produce a bacteriocin in natural media such as milk and milk-based media. By the determination of the growth-supplements to milk among the 47 nutrients, Lb. gasseri JCM1131(T), LA39 and LA158 isolated from human feces were successfully cultured in reconstituted skim milk and cheese whey using proteose peptone as a nutrient supplement, where Lb. gasseri LA39 produced a useful bacteriocin, gassericin A, with effective growth-inhibiting activity against Gram-positive food-borne pathogens. The data suggest these developed low-cost safe media supporting enough production of bacteriocins by the probiotic Lb. gasseri LA39 could be used to improve the safe bio-preservation of foods and therapy of bovine mastitis, and extra cheese whey produced by cheese making industry is reused in the cultivation for probiotics effectively.