Effect of lactobacillus fermented beetroot juice on composition and activity of cecal microflora of rats

This study aimed at determination of the effect caused by ingestion of beetroot juice fermented by Lactobacillus casei 0920 and Lactobacillus brevis 0944 strains on the state of cecal ecosystem of experimental rats. The intake of fermented beetroot juice containing 3.5–4.0 × 109 CFU/mL live Lactobacillus sp. cells positively modulated the cecal microflora of the rats and its metabolic activity. The counts of Lactobacillus sp., Bifidobacterium sp., Bacteriodes sp., and Enterococcus sp. were maintained at the level of 8.2–8.6, 6.2–7.5, 8.0–8.3, and 7.3–7.7 log units, respectively, while the number of Clostridium sp. cells was increased by 1.1–1.6 log units and Enterobacteriaceae bacteria were reduced by 0.8–2.1 log units. In this study, the selected cecal enzymes such as β-glucosidase, β-glucuronidase, and β-galactosidase as well as the profile and concentration of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) were the biochemical markers of metabolic activity of the intestinal ecosystem. The considerable decrease in activities of β-glucosidase and β-glucuronidase was observed in all three experimental groups fed with the fermented beetroot juice. Total concentration of SCFA was the highest (78.1 μmol/100 g BW vs. 59.2 μmol/100 g BW in control group) in intestines of rats fed with 6 mL of fermented beetroot juice daily. These results prove that the fermented beetroot juice benefits cecal microbial activity.