Milk whey culture with Propionibacterium freudenreichii ET-3 is effective on the colitis induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid in rats.

This study aimed to evaluate whether milk whey culture with Propinibacterium freudenreichii ET-3 (milk whey culture), which has been reported to have Bifidogenic activity, is effective on the colitis induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) in rats. For the induction of colitis, the colon was clamped and 0.1 M TNBS in 35% ethanol was injected into the luminal side of the clamped portion under pentobarbital anesthesia. From the next day of colitis induction, milk whey culture was administered orally at doses of 1 and 3 g/kg, twice a day for 9 days. On the 10th day, rats were sacrificed and ulcer size was measured. Milk whey culture significantly accelerated the healing of the colitis in a dose-dependent manner, but culture medium did not. To clarify the active substance, the effects of propionic acid and acetic acid contained in milk whey culture was tested. Sodium propionate significantly accelerated the healing of TNBS-induced colitis, but sodium acetate did not. The above results show that milk whey culture may become a useful prebiotic for the therapy of inflammatory bowel disease and that propionic acid may be one of the active substances contained in milk whey culture.