The purpose of this study was to isolate probiotic
lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that produce bile salt hydrolase
(BSH), and to evaluate its effects on serum cholesterol level.
One-hundred-twenty bacterial colonies were initially isolated
from human feces, and five strains were selected after screening
based on their resistance to acids, tolerance against bile salts,
and inhibitory activity on Escherichia coli. The Lactobacillus
plantarum strain with the highest level of BSH activity was
identified using 16S rRNA sequences, and was named L.
plantarum CK 102. L. plantarum CK 102 at a level of 1.36×
108 cfu/ml survived in pH 2 buffer for 6 h and exhibited
excellent tolerance for bile salt.