Antimutagenicity of milk fermented by Enterococcus faecium

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Microbiology
• Toxicology

Background:

• Milk and fermented milk products are consumed globally.
• Certain food components possess antimutagenic properties.
• Enterococcus faecium is a common probiotic bacterium found in fermented foods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the antimutagenic potential of diethyl ether extracts from unfermented and Enterococcus faecium-fermented milk.
• To evaluate the efficacy of these extracts against various mutagens using bacterial and flagellate models.

Main Methods:

• Extraction of compounds from unfermented and fermented milk using diethyl ether.
• Assessment of mutagen inhibition using the Ames test (Salmonella typhimurium strains TA97 and TA100) and Euglena gracilis.
• Testing against N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), nitrovin (NIT), 5-nitro-2-furylacrylic acid (NFA), and UV irradiation.

Main Results:

• Both unfermented and fermented milk extracts demonstrated dose-dependent inhibition of mutagenesis.
• Fermented milk extract showed the highest activity against UV irradiation, moderate activity against nitrovin and MNNG, and lowest activity against 5-nitro-2-furylacrylic acid in bacteria.
• The highest anti-bleaching effects were observed against MNNG.
• Statistically significant differences in antimutagenic effects were observed between fermented and unfermented milk extracts (0.95 CI level).

Conclusions:

• Fermented milk, particularly when fermented with Enterococcus faecium, possesses significant antimutagenic properties.
• The extracts are effective against a range of mutagens, suggesting potential protective effects against DNA damage.
• These findings support the inclusion of fermented dairy products in a diet aimed at reducing exposure to mutagens.