The Effect of Prebiotic Chitosan on the growth and antimicrobial characteristic of Probiotic lactobacilli

Nowadays, prebiotics are the matter of interest, because of stimulating the growth and activity of beneficial enteric bacteria (probiotic) and their antimicrobial and antitumor characteristics. The aim of this research is to study the effect of prebiotic Chitosan on the growth of probiotic bacteria and their antimicrobial effect.
This research was done in 2010 in order to study of the effect of prebiotic chitosan on the growth of probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus PTCC 1643 and Lactobacillus casei PTCC 1608 by using of drawing growth curve of these bacteria in the presence of different chitosan concentrations, also, the effect of this prebiotic on antimicrobial properties of probiotic bacteria was investigated against Escherichia coli by using of overlay method and blank disk method.
According to the test results, the growth of two probiotic bacteria were increased in the presence of chitosan and the most effective concentration of prebiotic chitosan was achieved, 6.5 (mg/mL).Antimicrobial effects of probiotic bacteria were increased in the presence of chitosan against E.coli especially Entrohaemoragic E. coli in comparison with the time that probiotic bacteria were used alone.
According to the results of this study, prebiotic chitosan, due to increasing effect on the growth and antimicrobial characteristic of probiotic lactobacillus, can be a proper candidate for effective symbiotic compound against pathogenic bacteria.