Assessing the safety of probiotics with regard to antibiotic resistance

Publisher Summary The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) comprise a taxonomically diverse group of Gram-positive, non-spore-forming rods and cocci. The conventional definition of the LAB group includes the genera Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, Lactococcus, Enterococcus and Streptococcus . In general, LAB are organisms without imposing a health risk for the consumers or the environment. There are several studies that have documented the presence and expression of antibiotic resistance genes in food-associated LAB. When antibiotic resistance is located on mobile genetic elements such as plasmids or transposons, these traits can be transferred to the human or animal commensal microbiota and to pathogenic bacteria temporarily residing in the hosts. The dissemination of antibiotic-resistant strains or of their resistance genes can also reduce the therapeutic possibilities in infectious diseases. Therefore it is very important to look for the presence of transferable antibiotic resistances among LAB strains that are used as probiotics or starter cultures in products for human or animal nutrition.