Abstract: Lactic acid bacterial isolates derived from three traditional fermented foods in Northeast China, known as NianMianZi, spicy cabbage and chilli sauce were screened for cholesterol-lowering property, and the cholesterol-lowering mechanism was interpreted from the aspects of cell membrane adsorption, bile salt hydrolase gene expression and enzymatic activity, bile acid co-precipitation of cholesterol, cholesterol-inhibiting micelles. Strains C1, C2, H6, H9, L22 and L30 were found to have high cholesterol scavenging ability and their clearance rates were all above 85%. All the strains could effectively exert their cholesterol-lowering effects through bile salt hydrolase as well as membrane adsorption, coprecipitation, and inhibition of cholesterol micelles.

Key words: cholesterol degradation, lactic acid bacteria, screening, bile salt hydrolase, degradation mechanism