Characterization of pH resistance and the proteolytic activity of GABA producing Lactobacillus brevis BGZLS10-17 in preparation of fermented milk beverage and the effects on the symptoms of the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The aim of this work was to study the probiotic effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producer Lactobacillus brevis BGZLS10-17 on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an experimental animal MS model. Clinical EAE symptoms were monitored in Dark Agouti (DA) rats treated with L. brevis BGZLS10-17 strain, or supernatant obtained from 48 h culture of L. brevis BGZLS10-17 cultivated in growth medium with or without GABA precursor monosodium glutamate (MSG). The results revealed that oral administration of L. brevis BGZLS10-17 alleviates the symptoms of EAE in DA rats. Namely, treatment with BGZLS10-17 and the supernatant of the strain cultivated in medium with MSG delayed the onset, shortened the duration, and reduced the intensity of the disease in the period when the EAE symptoms in controls were most pronounced. The probiotic treated animals were completely recovered after forty days, unlike the control animals. The results indicate that supplementation with live strain or with supernatant containing GABA produced by L. brevis BGZLS10-17 could alleviate the EAE symptoms. However, the use of L. brevis BGZLS10-17 in functional food as probiotic for autoimmune diseases should be tested in clinical trials.