RECOVERY OF VIABLE BACTERIA FROM TEN COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE PROBIOTIC PRODUCTS IN THREE CITIES IN THE STATE OF SÃO PAULO

Probiotic cultures are live microorganisms and, when administered in adequate quantities, provide health benefits to the host, however, the quality of products sold is questionable as some may not accurately meet label claims. Objective: This work aimed to evaluate ten commercially available probiotic products, purchased in three cities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: To verify the viability of the probiotic strains, ten products in the form of sachets or capsules were subjected to serial decimal dilution, inoculated in MRS Agar culture medium (Man, Rogosa & Sharp - Difco®) supplemented with 0.05% cysteine-HCl (MRSc) and incubated at 37°C for 48 hours in an anaerobic atmosphere, to determine the total number of Colony Forming Units (CFU). Results: Additionally, the possible presence of contaminating microorganisms was verified. Approximately 83% showed bacterial viability according to the label. There were similarities for each probiotic product in relation to the cities where they were purchased. Based on the colonial morphology of the selective culture media used, no contaminating microbial species were detected in any of the ten products. Conclusion: We concluded that the viable bacteria in probiotics sold in Brazil, more precisely in the state of São Paulo, are generally in accordance with the product label.