| Summary: | The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of three Lactobacillus acidophilus strains FNCC 101, FNCC 108, and FNCC 120 in cholesterol assimilation. Cholesterol assimilation was carried out in vitro by growing L. acidophilus strains anaerobically at 37oC for 24 hours in cholesterol-containing MRS broth added with oxgall at 0.4% (w/v). Concentration of cholesterol in the supernatant was measured by spectrofotometry at 550nm and the absorbance was converted to cholesterol levels based on the cholesterol standards prepared separately. Data showed that L. acidophilus decreased concentration of cholesterol in the supernatant. Without inoculation with L. acidophilus, concentration of cholesterol in the supernatant was 1.46 μg/ml, while after inoculation with L. acidophilus FNCC 120, 108, and 101 were 0.45, 0.47, and 0.52 μg/ml, respectively. The optimum level of oxgall addition in cholesterol assimilation was at 0.4% (w/v) with cholesterol observed at 0.52 mg/ml compared to 0.81 and 0.71 μg/ml for oxgal addition at 0.1 and 0.3%, respectively. Cholesterol assimilation was optimum at 37oC as this temperature had the lowest cholesterol concentration at 0.52 μg/ml. Cholesterol assimilation was increased after the growth reaching the logarithmic phase, and optimum after growing for 15 hours. It is concluded that L. acidophilus FNCC 101 has the highest level of cholesterol assimilation, this assimilation is optimum at 37oC, oxgall addition at 0.4% and at logarithmic phase of growth.
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