Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Micro-organism – per se ; compositions thereof; proces of... – Bacteria or actinomycetales; media therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-28
2003-08-19
Marx, Irene (Department: 1651)
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Micro-organism, per se ; compositions thereof; proces of...
Bacteria or actinomycetales; media therefor
C435S854000, C424S900000, C424S093300, C426S034000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06607905
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a purified strain
Lactobacillus acidophilus
identified as CNCM/I-1492 (hereinafter called
L.a
. I-1492), the microorganism from this strain, a lactic ferment comprising this strain, a process for making dairy products using this ferment, and the dairy products obtained by this process and containing at least 500 million per gram of
Lactobacillus acidophilus
(including the
L.a
. I-1492 strain) or 380 million/gram of
L.a
. I-1492.
The invention also concerns the use of a ferment comprising the strain
Lactobacillus acidophilus
CNCM/I-1492 and of a dairy product containing the same in the pharmaceutical field for reducing the level of cholesterol in the blood of a mammal.
BACKGROUND
Yogurts are fermented dairy products obtained by fermentation of different lactic bacterias with milk. The most widely used milk is cow's milk. These lactic bacterias (mainly
Streptococcus thermophilus
and
Lactobacillus bulgaricus
) are foreign bodies to the human intestinal flora and are not implanted in the digestive system during consumption of these dairy products.
Other lactic bacterias are present in their natural state in the human digestive system. It seems that the presence of such bacterias are beneficial and helpful in particular to improve the absorption of food while maintaining the equilibrium in the intestinal flora. Such other bacterias in particular are
Lactobacillus casei
and
Lactobacillus acidophilus.
The dairy products containing such bacterias are of particular interest inasmuch as they allow better digestion and provide an easier absorption of calcium when the latter is in the presence of moderate amounts of lactose. Indeed, during fermentation, milk protein and sugar are hydrolyzed, thereby facilitating hydrolisation of minerals such as calcium, iron essential to their absorption.
It has also been demonstrated that the ingestion of a fermented milk containing
Lb Acidophilus
alone increase the phagocytes activities thereby stimulating non specific defense of the host.
Furthermore, the consumption of fermented milk
Lb casei
and milk
Lb acidophilus
has been found effective to rapidly reduce acute diarrhea in humans.
Lb acidophilus
has also been found to have a healing effect on other gastric-intestinal related problems such as diverticulitis, food poisoning, abnormal fermentation.
However, perfecting such products is extremely difficult inasmuch as these bacterias naturally present in humans are not easily given to rapid production of dairy products having a pleasant taste and texture.
Furthermore, it is known that the performance of combined strains in a same ferment is unpredictable because of the interactions between the strains. Hence the performance and properties of a ferment can be significantly different from the performance and properties of the pure strains of which the ferment is composed.
It has now been, surprisingly, discovered that the
Lactobacillus acidophilus
I-1492 strain, or
L.a
. I-1492, has not only a beneficial effect on digestion and the equilibrium of the intestinal tract, but also has a major pharmaceutical effect allowing the reduction of the cholesterol level in the blood of mammals, and more particularly humans.
This effect is particularly remarkable when the strain
L.a
. I-1492 is combined with some lactic bacterias in a lactic ferment. A thorough study of these products has revealed, in a totally surprising and unexpected way, that fermented dairy products obtained from such ferment display therapeutic properties which reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. The main factor seems to evidently be due to the presence of a high concentration of the strain
L.a
. I-1492 since such an effect has not been established for other yogurts and/or lactic bacterias. The combination of lactic bacterias which compose the ferment according to the invention, allows an increase and acceleration of the development of the strain
L.a
. I-1492 during production of the fermented dairy product. Furthermore, it is very likely that this ferment creates a synergy and thereby achieves the production of a fermented dairy product having improved therapeutic results as compared to the dairy products obtained with the
L.a
. I-1492 strain alone.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present Invention concerns a purified strain
Lactobacillus acidophilus
I-1492 (
L.a
. I-1492) and the microorganism from this strain.
This strain can used in a lactic ferment, which is also an object of the invention, comprising a mixture of the following lactic strains:
L.a
. I-1492
at least one other
Lactobacillus acidophilus
strain; and
at least one
Lactobacillus casei
strain.
The latter two strains may be of commercial origin and can be purchased from manufacturers of lactic ferments. For example, the commercial
Lactobacillus acidophilus
strain that is used in the ferment of the present invention may be the one sold under the trademark RP Texel by Rhône-Poulenc or the one sold under the trademark
L.a
. RO-52 by Rosell. The commercial
Lactobacillus casei
strain may be the one sold under the trademark E2AL by Rhône-Poulenc.
Another object of the invention is a fermented lactic product of the yogurt type obtained by fermentation of the strain or of the lactic ferment according to the invention, with a dairy compound.
A further object of the invention is a method of manufacturing a fermented dairy product by the fermentation of the ferment according to the invention, said product having the texture of a yogurt.
A further object of the invention is the use of such fermented dairy product in the stimulation of the immune system for curing sore throat, flu, sinusitis and urinary infection. This same fermented dairy product has also been found to be useful in treating gastric-intestinal related diseases and infections.
Still a further object of the invention is the use of the above dairy products to reduce the cholesterol blood level in mammals, especially humans, and a method of medical treatment comprising the ingestion of a dairy product according to the invention.
The invention as well as its advantages will be better understood upon reading the following non-restrictive description, and by referring to the enclosed drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The purified
Lactobacillus acidophilus
strain I-1492 according to the invention was filed on Nov. 15, 1994 in the National Collection of Microorganism Cultures (25, Rue du Dr. ROUX, F-75724 Paris Cedex 15) according to the provisions of the Budapest Treaty.
The physiological, chemical and biochemical characteristics of the
acidophilus
strains that may be used in the ferment according to the invention are shown in tables 1 and 2. It has been found that the
L.a
. I-1492 strain present chemical, biochemical and physiological characteristics similar to those of the other
L.a
. strains. As a matter of fact, the
L.a
. I-1492 strain differs from the others only in that it degrades cholesterol more efficiently.
TABLE 1
Lactobacillus type (Group I): physiological characteristics
Growth at/in
Optimal
Maximum
pH
pH
4%
10%
Growth
Growth
Species
Mobility
15° C.
45° C.
3.3
0.7
NaCl
NaCl
temperature
temperature
L.b. acetotolerans
−
−
−
+
−
<40° C.
L.b. acidophilus
−
−
+
−
+
45° C.
52° C.
L.b. amylophilus
−
+
30° C.
<45° C.
TABLE 2
Lactobacillus type (Group I): chemical and biochemical characteristics
G
Nature of
electrophoretic
&
Type
the
lactic
mobility of
Production of:
C
of
teichoic
acid
L-
LDH
ARGININE
GAS FROM
GAS FROM
Species
%
Murein
acid
isomer
LDH
D-LDH
ALLOSTERIC
DEHYDROLASE
D-GLUCOSE
D-GLUCOSATE
L.b acetotolerens
35-36
Lys D-
DL
−
−
−
Asp
L.b. acidophilus
34-37
Lys D-
Glycerol
DL
1.35-
1.3
−
−
−
−
Asp
1.5
The fermenting profile for the
L.a
. strains which include the
L.a
. I-1492 strain is shown in table 3.
TABLE 3
Lactobacillus type (Group I): fermenting profile
ACID FERMENTATION FROM:
ESCULIN
ADO-
SPECIES
HYDROLYSI
Afremova Vera
Bio-K + International Inc.
Marx Irene
Robic
LandOfFree
Lactic ferment comprising a particular strain of... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Lactic ferment comprising a particular strain of..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Lactic ferment comprising a particular strain of... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3115343