Bifidobacterium longum-fermented broccoli supernatant inhibited the growth of Candida albicans and some pathogenic bacteria in vitro.

The aim of this study is to develop a growth inhibitory material against some pathogenic microorganisms, using beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium species and certain types of vegetables which can be good substrates for the growth of the beneficial bacteria. At first, various vegetable juices were screened for the growth promotion of Bifidobacterium longum etc. Among the vegetables tested, broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis L.) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata L.) showed excellent growth promoting activities for B. longum. Secondly, the B. longum-fermented broccoli (BFB) and Lactobacillus pentosus-fermented broccoli (LFB) supernatants were prepared and the growth inhibitory activities against Candida albicans were determined. Both of them showed dose-dependent, growth inhibitory effects, and the effect of BFB was superior to LFB. It was thought that the superior effect of BFB could be mainly attributed to the acids, especially acetic acid, produced by B. longum. BFB also inhibited some pathogenic bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans and Porphylomonas gingivalis. In conclusion, broccoli was found to be a good growth-promoting substance for B. longum. The fermented product, BFB, appears to be a usable material that inhibits the growth of C. albicans and some pathogenic bacteria.