Investigation of the potential use of Lactobacillus gasseri originated from human breast milk as food additive

Five Lactobacillus gasseri MA strains originated from human breast milk were investigated for their potential applications in food industry. The antimicrobial activities of MA strains against various human pathogenic microorganisms revealed that the inhibition zones values were in the range of 1.87-14.29 mm for fifteen human food-borne pathogens and 3.25-4.80 mm for two Candida strains. Among L. gasseri strains, the highest antioxidant activity was recorded for MA-5 strain with 54.93% 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and 26.88% ferrous ion chelating activities. The anti-cholesterol abilities of five L. gasseri strains vary from 23.67 to 88.94%. The strains were also evaluated for sensitivity to different nisin concentrations (1.25-150 μg/mL). L. gasseri MA strains with nisin resistance, antimicrobial and antioxidant, anti-cholesterol and lichenase activities are suitable candidates for potential applications in areas such as dietary supplements, making alcoholic beverages and natural food additives as alternative to synthetic preservatives.