Bile salt deconjugation and BSH activity of five bifidobacterial strains and their cholesterol co-precipitating properties

Five strains of bifidobacteria were screened for their bile salt deconjugation ability, bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity and co-precipitation of cholesterol with deconjugated bile. Bile salt deconjugation was determined by the release of cholic acid. All strains exhibited deconjugation of both sodium glycocholate and sodium taurocholate. More cholic acid was liberated from the deconjugation of sodium glycocholate than sodium taurocholate. BSH activity was quantified by determining the amount of glycine or taurine liberated from conjugated bile salts by bifidobacteria strains. There was higher substrate specificity for glycine-conjugated bile compared to taurine-conjugated bile. Co-precipitation of cholesterol with cholic acid was observed from deconjugation of both sodium glycocholate and sodium taurocholate, and by all bifidobacteria strains studied. More cholesterol was precipitated with cholic acid when sodium glycocholate was used compared to sodium taurocholate. Increased cholesterol co-precipitation with deconjugated bile was observed with decreasing pH levels. Bifidobacterium infantis 17930 showed highest deconjugation ability and BSH activity towards bile mixtures that resemble the human bile, and may be a promising candidate to exert beneficial bile deconjugation activity in vivo.