Fig. 1. Production of cytokines in the supernatants of cultured human PBMCs (4 donors) stimulated (for 24 h) with an equivalent biomass of reference strains, starter strains or
mixtures of starter alone, either cultivated in a laboratory culture medium (black bars) or in milk (white bars): (A) IL-10, (B) IL-12. (C) IL-10 and IL-12 induced by PF alone or
cultivated with a mix of starters. (D) Impact of the occurrence of PF on starter-induced IL-12 and IFNg. Data are expressed as pg/ml (means ± SEM of donors, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01).
The reference strains were Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (NCFM), Escherischia coli (TG1), Lactobacillus salivarius Ls33 (Ls33), Lactoccoccus lactis MG1363 (MG1363) and Bifido-
bacterium longum Bb536 (Bb536).