Production of conjugated linoleic acid by isolated Bifidobacterium strains

Two isolates from Korean faecal samples converted linoleic acid (LA) into conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and were identified as Bifidobacterium breve and Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum by analysis of 16S rRNA sequences. In both cases, the major CLA was the cis-9, trans-11 isomer and CLA production paralleled the increase in cell biomass with both bacteria and was maximal at 30 h. The quantities of supernatant CLA produced by B. breve and B. pseudocatenulatum were 160 and 135 mg l−1, from 500 mg LA l−1, respectively. In the presence of 0.05% LA, the growth of B. breve was weakly inhibited but that of B. pseudocatenulatum was not affected over 6 days fermentation. During fermentation, the majority of CLA isomers were in the culture supernatant, but with washed cells obtained at the early stationary phase, 36 h, about 40% was detected in the cellular lipid. The optimal culture age with equal concentrations of washed cells for CLA production by the two bifidobacteria was determined to be 36 h. At this culture age, total CLA conversion of supernatant and cell pellets was 78% in B. breve and 69% in B. pseudocatenulatum from 0.01% LA.