The present invention relates to a composition comprising a Leuconostoc citreum strain or a culture thereof as an active ingredient for preventing, improving or treating fibrosis, specifically pulmonary fibrosis, renal fibrosis or hepatic fibrosis.

According to the present invention, since the composition exhibits excellent preventive and therapeutic effects on various fibrosis, the composition may be usefully used as a composition for the treatment, prevention, improvement, or the like of fibrosis in humans or animals.

Compositions wherein foodstuffs act as carriers of freeze-dried probiotics provide new means for administration of probiotics. The products that are easily shipped may be eaten as purchased or mixed with other ingredients to provide variety in the diet while administering beneficial probiotic organisms to the gastrointestinal tract.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a fermented milk soft cheese product including the steps of a) Providing a first milk base, b) Optionally subjecting the first milk base to a concentration step to obtain a concentrated first milk base, c) Adding a first starter culture including at least one EPS producing lactic acid bacterium strain, d) Fermenting the concentrated first milk base for a period of time until a target pH is reached to obtain an EPS-containing fermented milk composition, e) Mixing the EPS-containing fermented milk composition with one or more other ingredients, if any, selected from the group consisting of a milk fat composition, a second fermented milk composition and one or more additives, to obtain a fermented milk mixture, and f) Subjecting the fermented milk mixture to heat treatment to obtain a fermented milk soft cheese product.

This invention provides an IFN inducer comprising, as an active ingredient, lactic acid bacteria and capable of inducing IFN production, an immunopotentiating agent or prophylactic agent against virus infection comprising such inducer, and a food or drink product comprising such IFN inducer and having IFN-inducing activity, immunopotentiating activity, or prophylactic activity against virus infection. The agent for inducing IFN production comprises, as active ingredients, lactic acid bacteria that can activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and promote IFN production, such as Lactococcus garvieae NBRC100934, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris JCM16167, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris NBRC100676, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM1180, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM11040, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC12007, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NRIC1150, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM20101, Leuconostoc lactis NBRC12455, Leuconostoc lactis NRIC1540, Pediococcus damnosus JCM5886, or Streptococcus thermophilus TA-45.

The invention relates to bacterial strains having an outstanding ability to produce menaquinone and to applications thereof.

A fermentation of a milk source to manufacture a fermented milk product with malty-chocolate-honey-butter-cream flavor and aroma. Fermentation is achieved by addition of adding a Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis diacetylactis (CNCM No. I-4404) or a Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis diacetylactis (CNCM No. I-4405) A further bacteria Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar is also added to the milk source. The milk source comprises amino acids and citrate prior to fermentation.

A quark matrix having improved taste characteristics is suggested, which is obtainable by (a) subjecting raw milk to heat treatment, separating the cream, (b) subjecting the skimmed milk such obtained to an ultrafiltration step, a microfiltration step, and/or a reverse osmosis step, producing a high-protein retentate R1 and a high-lactose permeate P1 in the process, (c) enriching the retentate with an amount of lactose which corresponds to the amount that had been separated in the ultrafiltration step as permeate before, (d) subjecting the enrichment product such obtained to heat treatment until denaturation sets in, (e) fermenting the denaturation product such obtained by adding starter cultures and rennet, and (f) adjusting the fermentation product such obtained to defined dry matter and protein contents.

A process for manufacturing a nutraceutical tortilla prepared from wheat flour as an alternative for malnutrition and obesity, wherein two fermentations are carried out with probiotic microorganisms, lactic bacteria (Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus plantarum) and with Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and enriched with prebiotics (inulin), milk protein, calcium and folic acid, resulting in a high nutritional value product and with probiotic microorganisms, resulting in a tortilla that does not need preservative added during manufacturing thereof.

The present invention relates to the field of microbiology, specifically the field of production of a dairy food product using fermentation and the field of gene transfer by conjugation.

This invention provides an IFN inducer comprising, as an active ingredient, lactic acid bacteria and capable of inducing IFN production, an immunopotentiating agent or prophylactic agent against virus infection comprising such inducer, and a food or drink product comprising such IFN inducer and having IFN-inducing activity, immunopotentiating activity, or prophylactic activity against virus infection. The agent for inducing IFN production comprises, as active ingredients, lactic acid bacteria that can activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and promote IFN production, such as Lactococcus garvieae NBRC100934, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris JCM16167, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris NBRC100676, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM1180, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM11040, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC12007, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NRIC1150, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM20101, Leuconostoc lactis NBRC12455, Leuconostoc lactis NRIC1540, Pediococcus damnosus JCM5886, or Streptococcus thermophilus TA-45.