Null Evidence of Ammonium Consumption by Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Bifidobacterium lactis BI-07, Commercial Probiotic Bacteria, in a Fermentative System

Solís Pacheco, J. R., Pulido Mateos, E. C., Rodríguez Arreola, A., González Reynoso, O., Balcázar López, E., González Quezada, E., Córdova López, J. & Aguilar Uscanga, B. R.^*

University Center of Exact Sciences and Engineering, University of Guadalajara, Department of Pharmacobiology, Industrial Microbiology Laboratory, México

Dr. Aguilar Uscanga, B. R., University Center of Exact Sciences and Engineering, University of Guadalajara, Department of Pharmacobiology, Industrial Microbiology Laboratory, México.

Keywords: Probiotics; Prebiotics; Ammonium Sulfate; Hepatica Encephalopathy

Abstract

Ammonia is a toxic metabolite capable of causing hepatic encephalopathy in people with liver problems. This is a syndrome characterized by a series of clinical manifestations derived from attention deficit as well as cognitive deterioration, joined with the risk of fulminant hepatitis or liver cirrhosis caused by a significant reduction of hepatic parenchyma. The applications of probiotics and prebiotic in functional food is increasingly important in the prevention of diseases as the hepatic encephalopathy. Nevertheless, there is a little or null evidence of study about ammonium consumption by probiotic bacteria, in a fermentative system. Therefore, the aim of this work is to analyze the capacity of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 (commercial strains), for consuming ammonium in different culture media and at different concentrations of ammonium sulfate (7 and 20g/L), using two carbon sources (glucose and fructan) for producing biomass. The results show that the bacteria are able to grow in different conditions and culture media. However, not all of the ammonium sulfate was consumed by bacteria. This research allows verifying the null capacity of these probiotic bacteria for ammonium consumption, but not to fructan consumption as source of carbon, so we consider that this in vitro study is important, considering that, the hypotheses established by other authors show a beneficial effect to people with liver encephalopathy problems.

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