Microbiological quality of probiotic dietary supplements

Figures & data

Table 1. Expected and actual counts of LAB in some commercially available probiotic supplements and in probiotic products provided by a local manufacturer.

Probiotic product	Specification on dietary supplements	Enumeration of bacteria (CFU g^−1)
	Probiotic microorganisms	Expected number LAB (CFU g^−1)	MRS agar	M 17 agar	Nutrient agar
PI	L. acidophilus, L. rhamnosus, L. bulgaricus, Str. thermophilus	–	–	–	–
PII	L. acidophilus Rosell-11, L. rhamnosus Rosell-52, B. longum Rosell-175	≥2.42 × 12^12	1 × 10^5	–	–
	S. boulardii	≥1.5 × 10^10	–	–
PIII	L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. lactis	≥1 × 10^9	–	–	4 × 10^5
	Bifidobacterium sp.	≥5 × 10^9	–	–
PIV	L. bulgaricus GLB44	≥2 × 10^9	4 × 10^5	–	–
PV	L. acidophilus	≥9.5 × 10^9	6.5 × 10^6	–	–
PVI	L. rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103)	≥1.4 × 10^9	3 × 10^5	–	–
PVII	L. acidophilus, L. casei, Bifidobacterium sp.	≥1 × 10^9	4.9 × 10^9	3.5 × 10^5	–
	S. boulardii	≥5 × 10^9	–	–
PVIII	L. acidophilus, L. casei, Bifidobacterium sp.	≥1.74 × 10^10	1.8 × 10^8	1.5 × 10^9	–
	S. boulardii	≥2.6 × 10^9	–	–
PIX	L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, L. bulgaricus, L. lactis, L. helveticus, Bifidobacterium sp.	≥1 × 10^10	1 × 10^10	1.9 × 10^9	–
P X	L. rhamnosus, Str. thermophilus, L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, Bifidobacterium	≥1.94 × 10^9	1.6 × 10^9	1. 1 × 10^9	–
	S. boulardii	–	–	–
P XI	L. helveticus, L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, Str. thermophilus, Bifidobacterium sp.	≥1 × 10^9	4.3 × 10^9	1.1 × 10^9	1.3 × 10^9
P XII	L. acidophilus, L. casei, Bifidobacterium sp.	≥1 × 10^9	2.6 × 10^9	4.9 × 10^9	1.2 × 10^10
	S. boulardii	≥5 × 10^9	–	–
P XIII	L. rhamnosus, L. lactis, L. acidophilus, Str. thermophilus	≥2.5 × 10^9	7 × 10^9	2 × 10^10
P XIV	L. rhamnosus, L. lactis, L. acidophilus, Str. thermophilus	≥6.25 × 10^9	4.7 × 10^10	2.6 × 10^9	8.5 × 10^8
P XV	L. bulgaricus, Str. thermophilus, L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium sp.	≥2.5 × 10^10	4.8 × 10^10	6.7 × 10^9	7.9 × 10^9
P XVI	L. acidophilus, L. casei, Bifidobacterium sp.	≥1.5 × 10^10	9.2 × 10^10	1.1 × 10^10	2.4 × 10^10
P XVII	L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, Str. thermophiles, Str. lactis, L. casei, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus coagulans	≥3 × 10^9	1.7 × 10^5	–	7.1 × 10^7
P XIX	Genus Lactobacillus, Genus Bifidobacterium	≥2 × 10^9	2.1 × 10^6	3 × 10^3	3 × 10^4
P XX	L. rhamnosus, L. acidophilus, L. casei subsp. casei, Str. Thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, B. longum	≥2 × 10^8	5.4 × 10^6	–	1.5 × 10^5
P XXI	B. lactis, L. acidophilus DDS-1, Str. thermophiles, B. bifidum, B. longum	≥3 × 10^8	5.4 × 10^6	1.5 × 10^5	1.5 × 10^5
P XXI	Bifidobacterium sp, L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, Str. thermophilus	≥1 × 10^9	1.6 × 10^5	–	–
PXXII	L. reuteri DSM 17938 (L. reuteri protectis)	≥1 × 10^8	4 × 10^5	–	–
P XXIII	L. acidophilus, B. longum	≥4 × 10^9	–	–	–
P XXIV	L. reuteri protectis	≥2 × 10^8	9 × 10^2	–	–
P XXV	B. bifidum HA – 132, B. breve HA – 129, B. longum HA – 135, L. acidophilus HA – 122, L. paracasei HA – 196, L. rhamnosus HA – 111, L. rhamnosus (B) HA – 114, L. salivarius HA – 118	≥1 × 10^10	–	–	4 × 10^5
P XXVI	L. reuteri, L. rhamnosus	≥2.5 × 10^8	3.6 × 10^3	–	–

Figure 1. Molecular diagnostic algorithm for LAB identification.

Figure 2. PCR amplification and identification of selected strains at genus level via primer pair 16S/p4–23S/p7: M, molecular marker (Fermentas, 100 bp); strains number 3, 5–9, 15, 28–32 formed amplification patterns with two fragments (450 bp and 650 bp); strains number 1–2, 4, 10, 11–14, 16–21, 22–26 formed amplification patterns with three fragments (450 bp, 550 bp and 650 bp).

Figure 3. Strain viability after incubation in simulated gastric juice (pH 2).