Adaptation of the lactic acid bacterium Carnobacterium maltaromaticum LMA 28 to the mammalian gastrointestinal tract: From survival in mice to interaction with human cells

Carnobacterium maltaromaticum is a non-starter lactic acid bacterium frequently isolated from food products. While this bacterium has been extensively studied in foods, very little is known about its fate once ingested. In this study the strain C. maltaromaticum LMA 28 was given to mice by intragastric gavage. Selective enumeration of C. maltaromaticum in the faeces showed that the bacterium is able to survive through transit of the gut. In addition, experiments showed that C. maltaromaticum is able to adhere to Caco-2, HT29, and T84 cell lines. Moreover, the measurement of four cytokines produced by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells after incubation with the bacterium suggested that C. maltaromaticum LMA 28 exhibit either a neutral or a slightly anti-inflammatory behaviour. The analysis of the genome of C. maltaromaticum LMA 28 revealed it contains genes for adaptation to the gastrointestinal tract.