Assessing the adhesion of probiotic lactobacilli in the presence of kolaviron-rich G. kola extract to human colonic epithelial cells using static in vitro digestion model

Eva Vacíková

Bachelor's thesis

Abstract:

Garcinia kola belonging to the Clusiaceae family is a tree growing in Central and Western Africa. Local people chew the raw seeds of this tree to treat fever, digestive problems, malaria or as an aphrodisiac. Current studies have also demonstrated its analgesic, anticancer, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective effects on human health. The seeds contain a wide range of biochemically active molecules, among which kolaviron, a complex of bioflavonoids, seems to possess many biological activities and health benefits. The aim of this work was to determine the adhesion of probiotic lactobacilli in the presence of kolaviron-rich G. kola extracts to human colonic epithelial cells. The first step was to determine the cytotoxicity of kolaviron-rich extract and in the second step, selected probiotic strains commonly found in the human gut microbiome were tested for their ability to adhere to epithelial cells in the presence of G. kola seed extracts. The MTT (3-[4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) cytotoxicity assay was used to measure the cell viability; 6 common human lactobacilli (L. acidophilus, L. fermentum, L. gasseri, L. plantarum, L. reuteri, L. rhamnosus) and two human intestinal epithelial cells lines (Caco-2 and HT29) were used in the adhesion experiment. The results show that kolaviron-rich samples did not significantly improve the ability of lactobacilli to adhere to intestinal epithelial cells; on the contrary, in a limited number of cases, adhesion was reduced. No lactobacilli species reduced adhesion to both cell lines, only one species, L. acidophilus, did not show reduced adhesion in any of the cases. Kolaviron-rich G. kola extract affects the adhesion of lactobacilli to the human intestinal epithelial cells; nevertheless, the effect is neither unilaterally positive nor negative.

Keywords

bitter kola, multipurpose tree, gut microbiota, adhesion

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 15. 4. 2022

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Ing. Olga Leuner, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Bachelor programme:
Tropical Agriculture