Physiochemical Characteristics of Lactobacillus acidophilus KH-l Isolated from the Feces of a Breast-Fed Infant

Three lactobacillus strains, two from infant feces, and one from cow's milk, were selected among 172 isolates, from multiple sources, for further study based on the antimicrobial activities against six strains of pathogenic bacteria and identified as Lactobacillus acidophilus. The strains revealed a wide scope of spectrum against pathogenic bacteria. Viable Lactobacillus acidophilus KH-l cell counts at pH 2.0 were slightly decreased to $1.42\times10^7$ CFU/mL from $4.18\times10^7$ CFU/mL, while remaining at $3.42\times10^7$ CFU/mL at pH 4.0 with the survival rate of $33.97\%\;and\;81.82\%$, respectively. At the concentration of $0.1\%$ oxgall, L acidophilus KH-l kept growing up to $3.12\times10^7$ CFU/mL with a mean growth rate constant (k) of 0.25, and cell number was slightly decreased to $1.21\times10^7$ CFU/mL (k=0.19) with $0.3\%$ oxgall, but remained at $7.6\times10^6$ CFU/mL (k=0.17) with $0.5\%$ oxgall. L. acidophilus KH-l had a $D_{60}$ value of 7.14, with viable cell numbers $1.4\times10^5$ CFU/mL after heat treatment at $60^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes. Stability of L acidophilus KH-l at $-20^{\circ}C$ was significantly higher, when the strain was cultivated under the optimum growth temperature $(54.41\%\;and\;54.35\%)$ than at the temperature $(13.53\%)$.