November 4/Harbin, China/Technology News Focus -- According to a study from Harbin, People's Republic of China, "Consumption of dairy products containing probiotics with cholesterol-lowering activity has been proposed as a means to lower serum cholesterol. In the present work, 19 yeast strains, isolated from raw milk, were tested to obtain potential probiotic yeasts for assimilating cholesterol."

"During in vitro tests, 17 yeast strains were capable of growth in bile salt solutions, and most of the yeast strains tolerated low pH, surviving in gastric juice. Among the 19 strains assessed, Geotrichum sp. BY2 and Pichia kudriavzevii BY10 showed highest adhesive ability to HT-29 cells. All yeast strains were able to assimilate cholesterol in the range of 3.6-44.4% over a 72-hour incubation, and seven of the yeast strains were significantly higher at assimilating cholesterol (P < 0.05)," wrote L.S. Chen and colleagues.

The researchers concluded, "According to these results, the yeast strains P. fermentans BY5, P. kudriavzevii BY10, P. kudriavzevii BY15 and Yarrowia lipolytica HY4 may serve as potential probiotics to assimilate cholesterol in the human intestine."

Chen and colleagues published the results of their research in Dairy Science & Technology ("Screening for the Potential Probiotic Yeast Strains from Raw Milk to Assimilate Cholesterol." Dairy Science & Technology, 2010;90(5):537-548).

For additional information, contact Y. Ma, Harbin Institute Technology, School Food Science & Engineering, Harbin 150090, People's Republic of China.

From the November 29, 2010, Prepared Foods E-dition