Antimutagenicity of milk fermented by Enterococcus foecium

The diethyl ether extracts isolated from unfermented milk and milk fermente d by Enterococcus f oe cium exhibited dose-dependent inhibition of mutagene sis induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), nitrovin (NIT), 5-nitro-2-furylacrylic acid (NFA) and UV-irradiation on the Ames bacterial test (Salmonella typhimurium strains TA97 and TA100) and the unicellular n agellate Euglena gracillis. Overall, the fermented milk extract was the mos t active against UV-irradiation, less active against NIT and MNNG, and the least active against NFA on bacteria. The highest antibleaching effects wer e observed against MNNG. The differences between antimutagenic effects from fermented and unfermented milk extracts were determined to be statisticall y significant at the 0.95 CI level.