Chemical, physical and enzymatic pre-treatments of probiotic lactobacilli alter their adhesion to human intestinal mucus glycoproteins

Intestinal mucus glycoproteins extracted from faeces of healthy adult subje cts were used as a substratum for bacterial adhesion to investigate the eff ects of physical, chemical and enzymatic pre-treatments of the bacteria on their adhesion. The strains studied were Lactobacillus acidophilus 1 (LC1(R ), Nestle), L. rhamnosus strain GG (ATCC 53103), L. rhamnosus LC-705, and L . casei strain Shirota (Yakult(R), Yakult Ltd). Hereafter the strains are r eferred to as LA1, LGG, LC-705, and Shirota, respectively. Strains LA1 and LGG adhered greatly whereas the adhesion of strains LC-705 and Shirota to i ntestinal mucus glycoproteins was low. Adhesion of LA1 and LGG was reduced by boiling, autoclaving and by pepsin and trypsin treatments suggesting tha t the bacterial protein structures are essential for their adhesion. Treatm ent in ethanol and in propanol Drier to adhesion significantly increased th e adhesion of LA1 and LC-705, respectively. Adhesion of Shirota strain was not altered by any of the treatments. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All ri ghts reserved.