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Updated: Mar 25, 2026

The Cultivation, Growth, and Viability of Lactic Acid Bacteria: A Quality Control Perspective
Published on: June 16, 2022
Identification of natural lactoylcholine in lactic acid bacteria-fermented food
Kozo Nakamura1, Sho Okitsu2, Ryuya Ishida2
1Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Shinshu University, 8304 Minamiminowa Village, Nagano, Japan; Institute of Agriculture, Academic Assembly, Shinshu University, 8304 Minamiminowa Village, Nagano, Japan.
Abstract:
Acetylcholine (AcCh) is a major neurotransmitter and an agonist of nicotinic and muscarinic receptors in non-neuronal systems. Artificially synthesized lactoylcholine (LaCh) has potent nicotinic activity equal to that of AcCh. In this study, we report the isolation and purification of natural AcCh and LaCh from a lactic-fermented food known to reduce blood pressure. To our knowledge, we are the first to isolate natural LaCh. The choline esters were isolated using a novel purification procedure combining a weak cation-exchange cartridge with ODS and pentafluorophenyl HPLC columns, and the structure of LaCh was identified via various analyses. Assessment of D- and L-LaCh showed that the isolated LaCh was an enantiomer mixture with a D/L ratio of 1.6. D-LaCh induced vasorelaxation of thoracic aortas from spontaneously hypertensive rats (EC50=3.83×10(-7) M), while L-LaCh did not. Our results suggest that choline esters could be new functional ingredients in lactic-fermented foods.
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