Due to the varied climate in Iran, there is a wide variety of
traditional dairy products especially in rural areas. Most of these
products are made from unpasteurized ewe’s or cow’s milk. This
study proved the presence of LAB micro flora in ewe milk, yoghurt
as well as traditional sour buttermilk. The antagonistic activity
possessed by these isolates might be an additional advantage for
the control of unwanted pathogens mainly in dairy products.
Moreover, the in vitro cholesterol lowering effect of the selected
isolates in both viable and dead form might indicate their possible
cholesterol lowering effect in vivo.
Overall results of this research suggests that the selected LAB
strains isolated appear to possess probiotic potential, and hence
could be exploited further for their use in fermented dairy
products.