Isolation and In-Vitro Probiotic Characterization of Fructophilic Lactic Acid Bacteria from Different Plants and The Digestive System of Bees

The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of fructophilic lactic acid bacteria isolated from fructose-rich niches (bee digestive tract, yam fruit, hazelnut leaf, grape, tomato, white mulberry, pear, kiwi) for their use as probiotics. Among a large number of isolates from these sources, 10 catalase-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains were initially selected. Cell morphology and genotypic characteristics (RAPD-PZR, 16S rRNA sequencing) of the selected strains were determined in the first stage. The fructophilic isolates included in the study were identified as Enterococcus faecalis. Phylogenetic analyses of the related isolates were performed and isolates isolated from the bee gastrointestinal tract and isolates isolated from different plant sources were grouped into separate clades. Isolates whose phenotypic and genotypic characteristics were defined were then tested for their potential probiotic properties. In this context, acid, pepsin and pancreatin resistance profiles of the isolates were determined. In addition, isolates coded A6, 7, 9 and 10 were proven to be potential bacteriocin producers. In this study, it was shown that fructophilic lactic acid bacteria can be isolated from different plant sources and may have probiotic potential.