The Sourdough School

BALM – Proven as one of the healthiest approaches to bread in the world.

Based in the walled gardens of Dr. Vanessa Kimbell's beautiful Victorian home in rural Northamptonshire, UK, we tutor individuals and train bakers and healthcare professionals in Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM). Personalising bread to your lifestyle, gut microbiome, and unique genetics for optimal health—tailoring fermentation, fibre, and diversity so that your daily bread becomes the foundation of your health.

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502 - ‘Inhibitory activity of postbiotic produced by strains of Lactobacillus plantarum using reconstituted media supplemented with inulin’. Gut Pathogens. 6:23

Reference Number: 502

Year: 2014

Authors: Karwan Yassen Kareem, Foo Hooi Ling, Loh Teck Chwen, Ooi May Foong and Samsudin Anjas Asmara

Link: Link to original paper

Health: Antimicrobial | Gut Microbiome - Creating Healthier Bread to Support Optimal Gut Health

Nutrition: Postbiotic | Probiotic | Short chain fatty acids

Summary

Background

The present study aimed to determine the inhibitory activity of postbiotic produced by L. plantarum using reconstituted media supplemented with different levels of inulin and to select the best combination based on the modified inhibitory activity (MAU/mL) against pathogens.

Methods

Postbiotics were produced by 6 strains of L. plantarum (RG11, RG14, RI11, UL4, TL1 and RS5) using reconstituted media supplemented with different levels of Inulin (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0) yielding 36 combinations.

Results

The combination of postbiotic and inulin had higher inhibitory activity than postbiotic alone against all indicator organisms except Pediococcus acidilactici, and E. coli. The RI11?+?0.8% Inulin, RG14?+?0.8% Inulin and RG14?+?0% Inulin had significantly (p?<?0.05) higher MAU/mL against P. acidilactici than other treatments. The RI11?+?0.8% Inulin and RG14?+?0.4% Inulin had a significantly (p?<?0.05) higher MAU/mL against VRE. The MAU/mL against L. monocytogenes was greater in RI11?+?1.0% Inulin, RI11?+?0.6% Inulin and RI11?+?0.8% Inulin. The combinations of RS5?+?1.0% Inulin, RS5?+?0.8% Inulin and RS5?+?0.6% Inulin had greater MAU/mL against S. enterica; whereas in E. coli, the inhibitory activity had higher activity that can only be found in RS5?+?0.8% Inulin.

Conclusion

Combination of postbiotics and inulin which had higher optical density tends to have lower pH which corresponds to increased inhibitory activity against indicator organisms. The results of this study show that postbiotics and inulin supplementation enable to inhibit proliferation of pathogenic bacteria.

Significance of this study to the baker:

This study provides insight into novel finding of ‘postbiotics’ from specific strains of probiotics. Postbiotics are essentially the waste of probiotic microbes, yet we don’t want to be disregarding this waste. An example of a postbiotic is a short chain fatty acid. This study finds that these by-products from the fermentation that takes place within our gut can help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, working to help us have a health balance of good gut bacteria.

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All reasonable care is taken when advising about health aspects of bread, but the information that we share is not intended to take the place of treatment by a qualified medical practitioner. You must seek professional advice if you are in any doubt about any medical condition. Any application of the ideas and information contained on this website is at the reader's sole discretion and risk.

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