Potential for Enhancing the Hypocholesterolemic Effect of Lactobacillus Acidophilus with Soluble Fiber and the Influence of the Lactobacillus on Immune Response

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the hypocholesterolemic effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus RP32 (ATCC 43121), Streptococcus thermophilus OSU-1, and oat β-glucan in combinations of six treatments on serum cholesterol in pigs fed a high cholesterol diet for 14 days. Additionally the immune enhancing effects of four of the treatments were tested. The results for both the cholesterol study and immunological study were highly variable. Because of variability among animals there were no overall significant effects. The mean levels of cholesterol tended to decrease in milk and fermented milk containing L. acidophilus while the respective controls tended to increase. Statistically, for pigs in a group with low cholesterol initially, the treatment containing Lactobacillus acidophilus resulted in a decrease in serum cholesterol from day 7 to day 14. Both IgA and IgG increased from treatments containing either Lactobacillus acidophilus or Streptococcus thermophilus.