Cholesterol-reducing activity of lactic acid bacteria / Zuhailah Mohd Shafawi

Two strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were analysed for their ability to produce BSH enzyme and to remove cholesterol from growth media. A plate assay method was conducted to screen the ability of the LAB to produce BSH enzyme, and o­ phthalaldehyde method was carried out to determine their ability to reduce cholesterol in vitro. It was found that Lactobacillus plantarum L5 and Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota were able to produce BSH enzyme and reduce up to 54 percent of cholesterol from growth media. There were no significant differences in the ability of both strains to reduce cholesterol levels in vitro (P < 0.05).