Bulletin of the IDF N° 462/ 2013: Identification of probiotics at strain level - Guidance document

Publication description

Correct assignment of probiotic strains to species or sub-species is indispensable for evaluating the genetic background of the micro-organisms the probiotic properties are imbedded in. Strain identification, based on typing methods, is described. The methods, however, are limited to only allowing to demonstrate identity or non-identity of the strain in question with that of a given probiotic strain. The authors emphasize the need for care in interpreting the results and the use of all available peripheral information in reaching a conclusion.

Keywords: AFLP, DNA sequencing, MLSA/MLST, PFGE, probiotic strains, ribotyping.