Abstract:

The adherence of probiotics on human epithelial cells is an important criterion for the selection of
probiotics. Colon cancer cell line HT-29 was selected to test the adhesive capability of Lactobacillus plantarum
NCU116 in vitro. Furthermore, the impacts of different factors on the adherence were studied. Results indicated that
the adhesion (4.78 ± 0.21) CFU/cell of Lactobacillus plantarum NCU116 was very excellent. The adhesion of NCU116
became better with increasing concentration, but the growth tended to saturation when the concentration was up to 1.0 × 108
CFU/mL. The adhesion of bacteria in stationary phase was the best. Similarly, the adhesion revealed an enhancement with
increasing incubation time and reached saturation at 2.0 h. The environmental pH had a significant impact on the adhesion
of NCU116, and NCU116 had a better adherence in acidic environment. Neither Ca2+ nor Mg2+ had significant effects on
the adherence of Lactobacillus plantarum NCU116 on HT-29 cells. In summary, Lactobacillus plantarum NCU116 has an
excellent adherence and is promising in the food and healthcare industries.

Key words: HT-29 cells, Lactobacillus plantarum NCU116, adherence