Bacterial strains were obtained from the rhizosphere soil associated with the Shandong YingYangYuan Food Technology Co. Ltd., Jinan, China. For use in experiments, the strains were grown on nutrient agar (NA) incubated at 37 _C for 1–2 days. A suspension was created by gently scraping the bacterial lawn from NA and diluting with water to approximately 106 cfu mL_1, as assessed with McFarland Turbidity Standards.