The buffalo Minas Frescal cheese as a protective matrix of Bifidobacterium BB-12 under in vitro simulated gastrointestinal conditions

The buffalo Minas Frescal cheese with Bifidobacterium BB-12 and the MRS broth, as a control, were used under in vitro simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Both samples were submitted to typical conditions in the human mouth, oesophagus-stomach, duodenum and ileum, sequentially. At the end of each step it was evaluated the count of bifidobacteria viable cells and their survival rates. After each one step of simulated gastrointestinal conditions, the bifidobacteria viable cells count were above the recommended for a probiotic product, both the buffalo cheese as the MRS broth. A protective effect of buffalo cheese was observed in the simulated gastrointestinal conditions, including the recovery of the injured bifidobacteria cells, as verified after the duodenum step. Buffalo Minas Frescal cheese thus appeared to protect the Bifidobacterium BB-12 during in vitro simulated gastrointestinal conditions, being a promising carrier of this probiotic bacterium.