Quercetin enhances the probiotic and functional characteristics of indigenous Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SG1 isolated from raw cow milk
RSC Advances, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1039/d6ra06744a
- Dergi Adı: RSC Advances
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, Compendex, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Atatürk Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The growing demand for functional foods has intensified interest in identifying indigenous probiotic strains with superior physiological properties and exploring natural compounds capable of enhancing their functionality. In the present study, the effects of quercetin on the probiotic-associated and functional characteristics of an indigenous Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SG1 isolated from raw cow milk were comprehensively investigated. The isolate was identified by phenotypic characterization and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Quercetin was applied at minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and sub-inhibitory concentrations (1/2 MIC and 1/4 MIC), and its influence on probiotic performance was evaluated through acid and bile salt tolerance, simulated gastrointestinal survival, cell surface hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, co-aggregation, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant capacity, and safety-related characteristics. The SG1 strain exhibited intrinsic probiotic potential, demonstrating high tolerance to acidic and bile conditions together with favorable surface properties and antimicrobial activity. Exposure to sub-inhibitory concentrations of quercetin, particularly at 1/2 MIC, significantly improved bacterial survival under acidic conditions and simulated gastrointestinal transit (p < 0.05). Quercetin supplementation also enhanced cell surface hydrophobicity, aggregation capacity, and antagonistic activity against foodborne pathogens while increasing DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities. The isolate showed no hemolytic, DNase, or gelatinase activities and displayed an acceptable antibiotic susceptibility profile consistent with probiotic safety requirements. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that quercetin acts as a physiological modulator capable of improving multiple probiotic-associated characteristics of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SG1 without compromising bacterial viability. The synergistic interaction between quercetin and this indigenous strain highlights its potential application in the development of next-generation functional dairy products and probiotic formulations.