Affiliation:
1. Yakult Central Institute, Food Research Department , 5-11 Izumi, Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo 186-8650 , Japan
Abstract
Abstract
Aims
We aimed to analyze the behavior of cellular glutathione of Streptococcus thermophilus strain YIT 2001 (ST-1) in the gastrointestinal environment to understand how orally administered glutathione in ST-1 cells is delivered stably to the intestine in a reactive form, which is essential for its systemic bioavailability against lipid peroxidation.
Methods and results
Intracellular glutathione was labeled with L-cysteine-containing stable isotopes. ST-1 cells from fresh culture or lyophilized powder were treated with simulated gastric and intestinal juices for 60 min each. The release of intracellular glutathione in digestive juices was quantified via LC–MS/MS. Most of the cellular glutathione was retained in the gastric environment and released in response to exposure to the gastrointestinal environment. During digestion, the membrane permeability of propidium iodide increased significantly, especially when cells were exposed to cholate, without change in the cell wall state.
Conclusions
ST-1 cells act as vehicles to protect intracellular reactive components, such as glutathione, from digestive stress, and release them in the upper intestine owing to the disruption of membrane integrity induced by bile acid.
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Subject
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology,General Medicine,Biotechnology