CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

The vitamin B12 (B12) (deoxyadenosyl- or methyl-colbalamin) is an important cofactor required for folic acid regeneration, in the thymine, valine, methyonine metabolism and the impaired-chain fatty acids. Animals do not synthesize B12, and the humans must incorporate the vitamin from the diet or pharmaceutical products. The B12-deficiency may induce specific and clinical symptoms (neurological alterations) and also unspecific ones such as anemia, weight-loss, amenorrhea, loss of appetite, etc. This deficiency may be due to strict vegetarian diets, malnutrition, physiological states (pregnancy and old age), congenital loss of the stomach intrinsic factor, etc. Lactobcillus reuteri CRL 1098, a probiotic strain, produces methylcobalamin cobalamin, one of the biologically active forms of the vitamin B12. The cluster of cobalamin biosynthesis in L. reuteri CRL 1098 was completely identified and characterized, constituting the first evidence in lactic acid bacteria. The efficiency of the microorganism to prevent the B12-deficiency was evaluated using an experimental B12-deficient murine model developed in our laboratory. The B12-deficient pregnant females treated with the producer lactobacilli (Group 2) showed a significant (p<0.005) increase in the hematocrit and reticulocites index (R%) (32% and 43%, respectively) respect to those fed with water (Group 1). Similarly, the weaned mice coming from pregnant females of Group 2 showed a significant (p<0.005) increase (40%) in the R index and optimum growth parameters compared with those originated from mothers belonging to the Group 1. According to this study, the treatment with L. reuteri CRL 1098 prevents the B12-deficiency as the commercial vitamin B12 (control). The development of a novel fermented beverage bio-enriched with vitamin B12 constitutes an interesting biotechnological proposal.