Cholesterol-lowering effects of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Musa sapientum Linn

Hypercholesterolemia is generally recognised as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Musa sapientum Linn. or Kluai Namwa (banana; ABB genome type) provides a functional nutrient in health promotion products and is a source of various probiotics. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from several sources are reported with cholesterol-lowering potential. However, the effects of LAB isolated from bananas on total cholesterol are still unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the cholesterol-removing ability of 5 LAB strains isolated from raw M. sapientum. All tested strains show a cholesterol-lowering property in species-and strain-dependent manner, with Weissella paramesenteroides NR27 being the most effective probiotic in reducing cholesterol concentration (P < 0.001). The removal of cholesterol by LAB is partially due to the production of bile salt hydrolase. All tested isolates exhibit more than 75% and 50% survival rates after challenging with simulated gastric and intestinal fluids respectively. Of these, W. paramesenteroides NR27 has a significantly higher survival rate (80%) in gastrointestinal conditions (P < 0.001), compared with all tested strains. In addition, antibiotic-resistant genes are not present in all drugs tested on this isolate. Therefore, W. paramesenteroides NR27 could be a promising probiotic candidate for reducing total cholesterol.