European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF LACTOBACILLUS REUTERI FROM HUMAN BREAST MILK COLLECTED IN BAGHDAD

Sara Abd Alkareem, Likaa Hamied Mahdi* and Hadeel Musafer

ABSTRACT

For many decades, breast milk has been regarded as a sterile body fluid which exerts its influence on the infant's microbiota environment via presenting only some growth factors and optimal conditions for helping the growth of bacteria. However, in recent years, breast milk has been hypothesized to be a source of commensal bacteria for the infant gut Breast milk is an important nutrient source for neonates. Lots of studies showed that this fluid has beneficial effects on the health of neonates. One reason of being beneficial is explaining by the microflora of human breast milk including beneficial lactic acid bacteria. Samples of breast milk were obtained from 31 lactating women were used in this study to isolate and identify the lactobacillus and to find out the incidence of Lactobacillus in Iraqian human breast milk. Biochemical tests and API® 50 CH were used for identification of isolates of Lactobacillus upto the genus level Results: Culture of the 31 breast milk specimens showed growth of different species of Lactobacillus in the specimens. Conclusion: breast milk can be a source of Lactobacillus for the infants Lb. reuteri were isolated from Iraqian human breast milk in high percentages (35.71)% (n=15) out of lactobacillus isolates, while Lb. acidophilus constituted (33.33)% (n=14), Lb. plantarum achieved (19.04)% (n=8), Lb . casei formed (9.52)% (n=4), and Lb.oris accomplished (2.38)% (n=1) out of actobacillus isolates.

Keywords: Lb. reuteri, Isolation, Breast milk.