02779naa a2200313 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902200140006002400270007410000150010124501370011626000090025350002950026252014950055765300200205265300190207265300250209165300230211665300490213965300310218865300150221970000270223470000260226170000180228770000180230570000150232370000150233877301120235310634202022-11-30       2022    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d  a1364-50727 a10.1111/jam.156642DOI1 aLOZANO, J.  aProbiotic potential of GABA-producing lactobacilli isolated from Uruguayan artisanal cheese starter cultures.h[electronic resource]  c2022  aArticle history: Received 18 March 2022; Revised 5 May 2022; Accepted 6 June 2022; Published online September 2022. -- Corresponding author: Zunino, P.; Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay; email:pzunino@iibce.edu.uy --  aAbstract:  Aims: In this study, we sought to identify and characterize a collection of 101 lactobacilli strains isolated from natural whey starters used in Uruguayan artisan cheese production, based on their capacity to produce gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and their probiotic potential. Methods and Results: The probiotic potential was assessed using low pH and bile salt resistance assays; bacterial adhesion to intestinal mucus was also evaluated. Selected strains were then identified by 16S sequencing, and their GABA-producing potential was confirmed and quantified using a UHPLC-MS system. Twenty-five strains were identified and characterized as GABA-producing lactobacilli belonging to the phylogenetical groups Lactiplantibacillus (n =19) and Lacticaseibacillus (n =6). Fifteen strains of the Lactiplantibacillus group showed a significantly higher GABA production than the rest. They showed the predicted ability to survive the passage through the gastrointestinal tract, according to the in vitro assays. Conclusions: A set of promising candidate strains was identified as potential probiotics with action on the gut-brain axis. Further studies are needed to assess their possible effects on behaviour using in vivo assay. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study shows the potential of strains isolated from local natural whey starters as probiotics and for biotechnological use in functional GABA-enriched foods formulation. © 2022 Society for Applied Microbiology.  aFermented foods  aGut-brain axis  aLactic acid bacteria  aLactiplantibacilus  aPLATAFORMA DE INVESTIGACIÓN EN SALUD ANIMAL  aPLATAFORMA DE SALUD ANIMAL  aProbiotics1 aFERNÁNDEZ-CIGANDA, S.1 aGONZÁLEZ REVELLO, A.1 aHIRIGOYEN, D.1 aMARTÍNEZ, M.1 aSCORZA, C.1 aZUNINO, P.  tJournal of Microbiology, 2022, volume 133, issue 3, pages 1610-1619. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.15664