Nutraceutical Production by Lactic Acid Bacteria: Evaluation of Riboflavin, Folates and alpha-Galactosidase

LEBLANC, J.G.; SESMA, F.; SAVOY DE GIORI, G.

Pinamar, Buenos Aires

Congreso; X Congress of the Panamerican Association for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PABMB), XLI Annual Meeting of the Argentine Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SAIB), XX Annual Meeting of the Argentine Society for Neurochemistry (SAN); 2005

Panamerican Association for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PABMB), Argentine Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SAIB), Argentine Society for Neurochemistry (SAN)

The consumption of functional foods containing nutraceuticals should be encouraged since these foods provide more than simple nutrition; they supply additional physiological benefit to the consumer. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are ideal candidates for the production of these beneficial compounds because of their history of safe use in the food industry. Native and engineered LAB were studied because of their capacity to produce B vitamins (folates and riboflavin) and the enzyme alpha-galactosidase (alpha-Gal). Using animal models, Lactococcus lactis was shown to be able to reverse megaloblastic anemia, increase biological levels of folates and riboflavin in blood and organs, and eliminate most physiological manifestations associated with deficiencies of these vitamins. Lactobacillus fermentum CRL 722, a high alpha-Gal producing strain, was used to reduce the non-digestible sugars (alpha-GOS) found in legumes such as soybeans. This strain was capable of eliminating the flatulence associated with these alpha-GOS. These results should open the door to many applications in the development of both new food products with enhanced nutritional value and probiotic preparations with well-demonstrated in vivo activity.