Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a group of related bacteria that produce lactic acid as a result of carbohydrate fermentation. LAB has been used in a wide range from food industry and characterized by the prevention of digestion-related problems. Altho...
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a group of related bacteria that produce lactic acid as a result of carbohydrate fermentation. LAB has been used in a wide range from food industry and characterized by the prevention of digestion-related problems. Although the study on LAB has been investigated in food industry fields, the research on the characteristics of LAB products was incomplete so far. In this study, we demonstrated the in vivo efficacy of LAB product as a functional food using soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans model organism. These LAB products were fed C. elegans together with their food, E. coli to evaluate whether the products were able to increase the digestion efficiency, body growth, life span and reproduction of worms. LAB products significantly improved the digestion ability of C. elegans by reducing the number of undigested E. coli in intestine and excrement. Moreover, the digestion-promoting effect subsequently resulted in the increase of adult body size, survival ratio in middle-aged adults, and reproduction rate. In particular, the products exerted antioxidant activity, which scavenged DPPH free radicals and reduced production of reactive oxygen species in animals’ bodies. Moreover, LAB products showed a strong antibacterial activity killing other bacterial strains including E. coli.