FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES, VIABILITY AND ADHESION CAPACITY OF PROBIOTIC LACTIC ACID BACTERIA CULTIVATED IN ALOE VERA – SUPPLEMENTED CULTURE MEDIA
MONICA BOEV 1,2,#, ELENA ENACHI 1,2,#, NICOLETA-MARICICA MAFTEI 1,2,3*, GABRIELA GURĂU 2,3,4, CLAUDIA SIMONA ȘTEFAN 1,2, CRISTINA STANESCU 2,4, OANA CIOANCĂ 5, MONICA HĂNCIANU 5, DENISA BATÎR-MARIN 1,²
¹ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați, 800008,
Galați, Romania
2 Research Centre in the Medical-Pharmaceutical Field, “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați, 800010, Galați, Romania
3 Medical Laboratory Department, “Sf. Ioan” Clinical Hospital of Children Hospital, 800494, Galați, Romania
4 Department of Morphological and Functional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dunărea de Jos” University of
Galați, 800008, Galați, Romania
5 Faculty of Pharmacy, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universității Street, 700115, Iași, Romania
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This study investigated the fermentative behaviour and functional properties of probiotic lactic acid bacteria cultivated in culture media supplemented with Aloe vera. Three probiotic strains – Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG and Lacticaseibacillus casei – were grown in MRS medium and MRS supplemented with 0.5% (w/v) lyophi- lized Aloe vera powder. Fermentation dynamics were monitored through pH evolution and viable cell counts during 72 h of cultivation and during 21 days of refrigerated storage. Aloe vera supplementation supported both the growth and survival of probiotic bacteria during fermentation and subsequent cold storage, allowing viable counts to remain above the recommended probiotic threshold. The tested strains, L. plantarum and L. casei adapted most successfully to the supplemented medium and were subsequently evaluated for their ability to adhere to epithelial cells. Both strains adhered to the HeLa-2 cell line and reduced the attachment of pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. The combined use of probiotic lactic acid bacteria and Aloe vera may provide a valuable basis for the development of functional fermented products with potential health benefits.
