The pH
of porcine gastric juice can be increased in the
presence of food components such as cheddar
cheese and yoghurt (Gardiner et al., 1999). This
protective effect of food components to probiotic
bacteria may facilitate the passage of acid-sensitive
probiotic strains from the stomach into the small
intestine. In the present study, a concentration of
0.3% bile salt, which mimics the concentration of
bile salts in an animal’s intestine, was used to
screen for bile salt resistant LAB. A high
concentration of bile up to 2.0% was reported and
the average concentration was about 0.3%
(Gotcheva et al., 2002).