Volume 90, Issue 2, August (2003), pp. 449-456 © The Author 2003
doi:10.1079/BJN2003896

Medline/PubMed Citation | Related Articles in PubMed | Download to Citation Matcher  

Antioxidative probiotic fermented goats' milk decreases oxidative stress-mediated atherogenicity in human subjects

Tiiu Kullisaar¹, Epp Songisepp¹, Marika Mikelsaar¹, Kersti Zilmer¹, Tiiu Vihalemm¹, Mihkel Zilmer^1
1Department of Biochemistryand , Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, University of Tartu, Tartu, , Estonia

 (Received 23 May 2002–Revised 11 February 2003–Accepted 24 March 2003)

The increasing interest in a healthy diet is stimulating innovative development of novel scientific products in the food industry. The viable lactic acid bacteria in fermented milk products, such as yoghurt, have been associated with increased lactose tolerance, a well-balanced intestinal microflora, antimicrobial activity, stimulation of the immune system and antitumoural, anticholesterolaemic and antioxidative properties in human subjects. Recently, we have studied a human Lactobacillus spp. strain that possesses antioxidative activity. The aim of the present pilot study was to develop goats' milk fermented with the human antioxidative lactobacilli strain, Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3, and to test the effect of the fermented probiotic goats' milk on oxidative stress markers (including markers for atherosclerosis) in human blood and urine and on the gut microflora. Twenty-one healthy subjects were assigned to two treatment groups: goats' milk group and fermented goats' milk group (150 g/d) for a period of 21 d. Consumption of fermented goats' milk improved anti-atherogenicity in healthy subjects: it prolonged resistance of the lipoprotein fraction to oxidation, lowered levels of peroxidized lipoproteins, oxidized LDL, 8-isoprostanes and glutathione redox ratio, and enhanced total antioxidative activity. The consumption of fermented goats' milk also altered both the prevalence and proportion of lactic acid bacteria species in the gut microflora of the subjects. We conclude that the goats' milk fermented with our special antioxidative lactobacilli strain Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 exhibits anti-atherogenic effects.

Keywords:
Fermented goats' milk, Antioxidative activity, Oxidized LDL, Glutathione redox ratio, Atherosclerosis

Abbreviations:
CFU, colony-forming units, EPI, epi-prostaglandin F_2α, GIT, gastrointestinal tract, GM, goats' milk, LAB, lactic acid bacteria, LPF, lipoprotein fraction, TAA, total antioxidant activity, TAS, total antioxidant status