In vitro inhibition of Helicobacter pylori growth and of adherence of cagA-positive strains to gastric epithelial cells by Lactobacillus paraplantarum KNUC25 isolated from kimchi.

Lactobacillus paraplantarum KNUC25 strain was isolated from overfermented kimchi, a Korean traditional food. The strain had a broad antimicrobial activity spectrum, from gram-positive to gram-negative bacteria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of L. paraplantarum KNUC25 against Helicobacter pylori strains. Judged by a disc agar diffusion method, the anti-H. pylori activity existed in the cell-free supernatants (CFSs) of KNUC25. The mean diameters of growth inhibition by 10, 30, and 60 microL of a 15-fold concentrated CFS per disc were 11.2, 17.7, and 23.7 mm, respectively. The neutralized CFS lost its anti-H. pylori activity, suggesting that acidic pH in CFS may be responsible for the anti-H. pylori activity. Adherence was determined by urease activity of H. pylori adhered to gastric epithelial cell line AGS cells after co-incubation of AGS cells with CFS and H. pylori strain ATCC43504 (s1m1vacA/cagA(+)), ATCC51932 (s2m2vacA/cagA(-)), or SS1 (s2m2vacA/cagA(+)) in vitro followed by three washes by means of centrifugation with saline. Adherence of ATCC43504 or SS1 to AGS cells was reduced by about 70% after a 30-minute incubation with 30 microL of a 15-fold concentrated KNUC25 CFS, whereas that of ATCC51932 to AGS cells was not. The results show KNUC25 CFS is effective in inhibiting the growth of H. pylori, which is related to pH and the adherence of cagA-positive H. pylori to gastric cells.