Functional and Probiotic Profiling of Bifidobacterium Longum Isolated from Dairy Foods

Twenty-four Bifidobacterium strains were isolated from raw milk and traditionally fermented dairy products obtained from local producers, Mandsaur Madhya Pradesh. These isolates were analysed for their probiotic potential. based on tolerance to antimicrobial activity against normal gastrointestinal pathogens, adhesion to intestinal epithelial cell, enzymatic and metabolic profile. All strains demonstrated varying degrees of mucin adhesion, which appeared to be strain-dependent, suggesting differences in their ability to colonize the gastrointestinal tract.A high degree of bile tolerance, was demonstrated by the majority of the isolated strains. Although most strains tolerated acidic conditions of pH 2, 3, 4, and 5, the viability of the Bifidobacterium longum strains was significantly (P<0.05) reduced at pH 3. In contrast to conjugated forms like taurocholic acid, deconjugated bile salts like cholic acid had far higher inhibitory effects. The majority of strains also showed strong antibiotic action against Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumonia. The findings suggested that Bifidobacterium strains had promising probiotic qualities.