BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF PROBIOTIC Lactobacillus FOR SWINE

The aim of the present work was to select lactic acid bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract of pigs and establish their biochemical characterization. Strains P01-001 and P08- 002 were selected out of a total of 33 bile resistant strains (5% of bile) because they presented the best survival rate at room temperature and after freeze-drying. Complementary studies on aspects like the ability to grow at different temperatures and resistance to inhibitory substances such as bile 10%, phenol 0.4%, NaCl 4% and 8% were performed. The selected strains P01-001 and P08-002 were identified biochemically through the API 50 test as Lactobacillus and classified as heterofermentative bacteria by gas production from glucose and by the presence of lactic and acetic acids in Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) supernatants detected by HPLC. The strains P01-001 and P08-002 growing at 45°C and tolerant to 10% bile, 0.4% phenol and 4% NaCl will be studied in animal trials as potential probiotic agents.