Abstract
The aim of the present study was to determine the probiotic potential of the lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum KCC-24 (L plantarum KCC-24), that was isolated and characterized from Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) forage. The following experiments were performed to assess the probiotic characteristics such as antifungal activity, antibiotic susceptibility, resistance to low pH, stimulated gastric juice and bile salts, proteolytic activity, auto-aggregation, cell surface hydrophobicity, and in vitro antioxidant property. The isolated L plantarum KCC-24 exhibited significant antifungal activity against the various fungal strains of Aspergillus fumigatus (73.43%), Penicillium cluysogenum (59.04%), Penicillium roqueforti (56.67%), Botrytis elliptica (40.23%), Fusarium oxysporum (52.47%) and it was susceptible to numerous antibiotics, survived in low pH, was resistant to stimulated gastric juices and bile salts (0.3% w/v). Moreover, L plantarum KCC-24 exhibited good proteolytic activity. In addition L plantarum KCC-24 showed potent antioxidant and hydrogen peroxide resistant property. In conclusion, the isolated L plantarum KCC-24 exhibited several characteristics to prove it's excellent as a potential probiotic candidate for developing quality food for ruminant animals and human. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.