The acid, bile tolerance and antimicrobial property of Lactobacillus acidophilus NIT

The characteristics of potential probotic Lactobacillus acidophilus NIT isolated from infant feces were evaluated in vitro. The strain was examined for resistance to pH 2-4 and 1-3% bile, adhesion to Caco-2 cells, and antimicrobial activities against enteric pathogenic bacteria. L. acidophilus NIT was shown tolerance property to bile, acid and strong antimicrobial activity against tested enteropathogens by the well-diffusion method. Furthermore, good adhesion and significant potential for decreasing adhesion of pathogens to Caco-2 cells were observed in this experiment. These results showed that L. acidophilus NIT may be useful for improving probiotic formulae with respect to protection against enteric pathogenic infection. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.