CHARACTERIZATION OF PROBIOTIC BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM COMMERCIAL PROBIOTIC SACHET

Background: Probiotics defined as live microorganism with beneficial effects on their host’s health. In the present investigation commercial probiotic sachet was used as isolation source. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of probiotic bacteria and to assess the probiotic properties of the isolates. Methods: Probiotic bacteria were isolated from commercial sachet to assess their biochemical characteristics and probiotic properties like acid, bile, phenol, NaCl tolerance, antimicrobial activity and antibiotic susceptibility pattern with further identification at species level (16S rDNA sequencing). Results: The findings revealed that both the isolates showed moderate to high growth at pH 2, pH 3.5 and pH 5. Bile tolerance was highest at 0.05% bile concentration followed by 0.15% and 0.3% after 3 hrs of incubation. The isolates were able to survive at 0.4% phenol concentration. Moreover, they survived in saline concentrations of (1-4 % NaCl), showed minimal growth in 5% and 8% NaCl and exhibited no growth at 6%, 7% and 9 % NaCl concentrations. Both isolates demonstrated inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Isolate1 showed resistance to Augmentin, Amikacin and Cefixime whereas Isolate2 exhibited resistance to Vancomycin, Chloramphenicol, Rifampicin, Clindamycin, Cefpodoxime Augmentin, Amikacin and Cefixime with intermediate resistance or sensitivity to some other antibiotics. Conclusion: This study concludes that the isolated strains identified as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, exhibit promising probiotic characteristics.