MOLECULAR PROFILE OF ORAL PROBIOTIC BACTERIA TO BE USED WITH FUNCTIONAL FOODS

Abstract

In this work, we present thermal and IR spectral profile and thereby molecular information about the probiotic bacteria- Streptococcus salivarius K12 (SsK12) to be further used with functional foods. In this context, for the first time, we characterized the global cellular constituents of this bacteria i.e. its proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, ribosomes, nucleic acids and cell wall by powerful calorimetric (differential scanning calorimetry) and infrared spectroscopic techniques, which are widely applied bioanalytical methods especially in the food microbiology and industry. Our results can be used by food specialists for the development of probiotic functional foods such as cheese, kefir, yogurt, buttermilk, pickle and chewing gum enriched with viable lyophilized bacteria to preserve oral health. Furthermore, the information we present here, would contribute for the development of prophylactic strategies and for the generation of recombinant probiotic SsK12 strains, which would help to launch out a new public health-care action plans