Beneficial Propionibacteria within a Probiotic Emmental Cheese: Impact on Dextran Sodium Sulphate-Induced Colitis in Mice

Backgrounds and Aims. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), including Ulcerative Colitis (UC), coincide with alterations in the gut microbiota. Consumption of immunomodulatory strains of probiotic bacteria may induce or prolong remission in UC patients. Fermented foods, including cheeses, constitute major vectors for bacteria consumption. New evidences revealed anti-inflammatory effects in selected strains of Propionibacterium freudenreichii. We thus hypothesized that consumption of a functional cheese, fermented by such a strain, may exert a positive effect on IBD. Methods. We investigated the impact of cheese fermented by P. freudenreichii on gut inflammation. We developed an experimental single-strain cheese solely fermented by a selected immunomodulatory strain of P. freudenreichii, CIRM-BIA 129. We moreover produced, in industrial conditions, an Emmental cheese using the same strain, in combination with Lactobacillus delbrueckii CNRZ327 and Streptococcus thermophilus LMD-9, as starters. Consumption of both cheeses was investigated with respect to prevention of Dextran Sodium Sulphate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. Results. Consumption of the single-strain experimental cheese, or of the industrial Emmental, both fermented by P. freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129, reduced severity of subsequent DSS-induced colitis, weight loss, disease activity index and histological score. Both treatments, in a preventive way, reduced small bowel Immunoglobulin A (IgA) secretion, restored occludin gene expression and prevented induction of Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNFα), Interferon γ (IFNγ) and Interleukin-17 (IL-17). Conclusions. A combination of immunomodulatory strains of starter bacteria can be used to manufacture an anti-inflammatory cheese, as revealed in an animal model of colitis. This opens new perspectives for personalised nutrition in the context of IBD.

Detection of virulence factors in coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. strains isolated from Emmental cheese

ABSTRACT Food prepared with products derived from animals are involved in most cases of staphylococcal poisoning; therefore, the research of Staphylococcus spp. in Emmental cheese is more applicable. The objective of this study was to identify coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. (CNS) in cheese using biochemical and molecular techniques to detect the presence of nine genes responsible for the production of enterotoxins. From 180 samples analyzed, 204 CNS strains were obtained and identified as being 46 (22.6%) S. saprophyticus strains, 27 (13.2%) S. hominis spp. hominis strains, 22 (10.8%) S. sciuri strains, 21 (10.3%) S. xylosus strains, 19 (9.3%) S. epidermidis strains, 19 (9.3%) S. haemolyticus strains, 17 (8.3%) S. lentus strains, 17 (8.3%) S. warneri strains, 11 (5.4%) S. equorum strains and 5 (2.5%) S. cohnni . Using the PCRm protocol, 14 (6.9%) strains with the presence of the genes on the enterotoxin E (SEE)11 (78.6%), J (SEJ) 1 (7%), C (SEC) 1 (7%) and I (SEI) 1 (7%) were detected. Based on the results, the type of package is not interfered of growth and isolated that Staphylococcus spp. in cheese. It was observed that bacteria capacity to produce coagulase cannot be understood as an indicative of enterotoxigenicity; therefore, the CNS should be considered as a target of importance in the epidemiology of staphylococcal intoxications. It can be concluded that CNS need to be included in bacterial foodborne disease research, since the genes responsible for the production of toxins were detected and none of the studied samples presented Staphylococcus spp. counting above the limits allowed by legislation.