DETERMINATION OF EXCOPOLISACCHARIDE PRODUCTION AND CHOLESTEROL ASSIMILATION ABILITIES OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES

One of the most important features of the intestinal flora is resistance to many conditions in the gastrointestinal tract. These include resistance to bile salt and growth at low pH. Bacteria have developed various defense mechanisms, such as specific enzymes, exopolysaccharide production, against Gastrointestinal system, In our study, strains of lactic acid bacteria isolated from various fermented foods and plants and all the strains were determined of their bile salt and low pH resistance. The strains were also tested for their exopolysaccharide production and total cholesterol assimilation properties. EPS production was observed at rations between 11.9 to 1.1 mg/L, and total cholesterol assimilation percentages ranged from 60.71 to 16.71. There was no relevance between cholesterol assimilation ability and their EPS production