Probiotic Potential of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria Found in Breast Milk in Gabon: Isolation, Identification, Antibacterial Activity and Perspective for Antibiotherapy.

Abstract

Mother's milk is the complete food of choice and the best nutritional source for its bio-immunological richness and its microbiota composed of lactic acid bacteria. The aim of this study was to assess the probiotic potential of the lactic acid bacteria present in breast milk. 34 samples (colostrum, transition milk, mature milk) were taken from breastfeeding women. They were enriched and inoculated onto MRS and MRS+cysteine agar. The sensitivity profile of the bacterial strains was assessed using the diffusion method. PCR was used to search for resistance genes specific to the target bacteria after extraction of the genomic DNA from the isolated strains. Their probiotic capacity was explored by assessing their ability to develop under different conditions. Forty-nine bacterial strains were isolated and Lactobacillus acidophilus was the most representative species in the three types of milk. These strains were able to develop both in hostile conditions and over a wide range of temperatures. They also showed antibacterial activity against pathogenic strains of Salmonella typhimurium, multi-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (ATCC25299). These results show that breast milk has potential probiotic activity that can be explored further to make the most of it, particularly in terms of antibiotic therapy.