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Assimilation of Cholesterol by Yeast Strains Isolated from Infant Feces and Feta Cheese

E. I. Psomas^*, D. J. Fletouris, E. Litopoulou-Tzanetaki^* and N. Tzanetakis^*

^* Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Hygiene, Faculty of Agriculture and
Laboratory of Milk Hygiene and Technology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

Corresponding author: E. I. Psomas; e-mail: akisp{at}agro.auth.gr.

Eight yeast strains isolated from infant feces and the traditional Greek Feta cheese, selected for their probiotic properties, were tested along with a commercially available strain of Saccharomyces boulardii for their ability to remove cholesterol from a growth medium (yeast extract glucose peptone broth) supplemented with 0.3% Oxgall. The amount of cholesterol removed during 72 h of growth at 37°C revealed significant variations among the yeast strains examined. Two isolates from infant feces, namely Saccharomyces cerevisiae KK1 and Isaatchenkia orientalis KK5.Y.1 and one isolate from Feta cheese, namely S. cerevisiae 832, along with the commercial strain S. boulardii, were able to remove cholesterol from the growth medium after 48 h of incubation at 37°C. However, Saccharomyces strains proved to be able to remove cholesterol even after 24 h of growth at 37°C. The cholesterol removed from the growth medium was not metabolically degraded but was rather assimilated into the yeast cells. The ability to assimilate cholesterol in vitro and to tolerate low pH levels, gastric juice, and bile indicate that S. cerevisiae 832, and especially S. cerevisiae KK1 and I. orientalis KK5.Y.1 (being more bile and gastric juice tolerant because of their human origin) may be promising candidate strains for use as probiotics.

Key Words: yeast • probiotic • cholesterol • Feta cheese

Abbreviation key: OD = optical density, YEGP = yeast extract glucose peptone

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