This method for producing fermented milk comprises: a starter inoculation step for inoculating a raw material milk with a starter to obtain a fermented milk base material; a fermentation step for fermenting the fermented milk base material to obtain a fermented milk; and a lactic acid bacteria addition step for adding lactic acid bacteria to the fermented milk.

The present invention is a yogurt product that may be consumed by dogs and other mammalian pets. The yogurt product is in an unflavored form comprising as essential constituents: (A) 0% to 88% by weight water; (B) 0.2% to 25% by weight of a no-fat protein component selected from the group consisting of skim milk and cultured skim milk; (C1) 0.001% to 6% by weight sugar component comprising: (C1) 0.001% to 6% polydextrose and (C2) 0.001% to 6% Glycoses and Galactoses; (D) 2% to 8% by weight milk derived solids; (E) 0.2% to 2.5% by weight stabilizers and emulsifiers; and (F) at least one probiotic microorganism. The yogurt product may be refrigerated and served as a mousse, frozen dessert, or as a fermented yogurt drink similar to Ayran or Kefir. A method for producing the yogurt product is also disclosed herein.

The present invention relates to a composition exhibiting a bile-salt hydrolase activity for its use for the treatment or the prevention of giardiasis, said composition comprising a bile-salt hydrolase (BSH)enzyme, a bacterium able to secrete a BSH, a recombinant host cell able to secrete a BSH, or a combination thereof. The present invention also relates to the use of a composition exhibiting a BSH activity for the treatment or the prevention of giardiasis, and to a pharmaceutical composition or a food composition comprising, as an active principle, a BSH, a lactic acid bacterium able to secrete a BSH, or a recombinant host cell able to secrete a BSH.

The problem is solved by an upper gastrointestinal flora-improving agent, the agent containing lactic acid bacteria as an effective ingredient, to be used in persons positive and negative for Helicobacter pylori. Lactic acid bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus is preferably used as the lactic acid bacteria, more preferably Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2716 (FERM BP-6999). Improvement of the upper gastrointestinal flora is, for example, a reduction in upper gastrointestinal Bifidobacterium and/or an increase in upper gastrointestinal Prevotella.

The problem is solved by an upper gastrointestinal flora-improving agent, the agent containing lactic acid bacteria as an effective ingredient, to be used in persons positive and negative for Helicobacter pylori. Lactic acid bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus is preferably used as the lactic acid bacteria, more preferably Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2716 (FERM BP-6999). Improvement of the upper gastrointestinal flora is, for example, a reduction in upper gastrointestinal Bifidobacterium and/or an increase in upper gastrointestinal Prevotella.

The present invention relates to a novel Lactobacillus sp. isolation strain having an activity to inhibit the growth of vaginitis pathogens, and a pharmaceutical composition, a health functional food, and a cleansing product, comprising the strain as an active ingredient. Therefore, the present invention exhibits an effect of inhibiting the growth of Sneathia spp. pathogens associated with the infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) and the incidence of bacterial vaginitis, Gardnerella vaginalis as a vaginitis pathogen, and Candida albicans as a causative yeast of Candidal vaginitis, and an effect of recovering and maintaining the vaginal microflora, and thus can be used for the prevention and treatment of female vaginitis.

A fermented food product or food supplement comprising a vegetable substrate fermented by a probiotic blend is disclosed. The fermented food product or food supplement according to the invention is useful in particular for improving natural maternity, lactation and baby weaning. The invention also discloses a process for the preparation of the fermented food product or food supplement comprising the fermentation of a vegetal substrate with the probiotic blend.

By adding a viable lactic acid bacterium to a fat or oil composition, the present invention has succeeded in producing a lactic acid bacterium-containing fat or oil composition that has a high viability of the lactic acid bacterium and an excellent resistance to acids. By adding lactic acid bacteria powder or a chocolate with a high lactic acid bacterium concentration to a chocolate dough after tempering and before molding, moreover, the present invention has succeeded in producing a lactic acid bacterium-containing chocolate including a viable lactic acid bacterium by a simple producing method. Thus, provided is a lactic acid bacterium-containing chocolate with high palatability that contains a viable lactic acid bacterium.

By adding a viable lactic acid bacterium to a fat or oil composition, the present invention has succeeded in producing a lactic acid bacterium-containing fat or oil composition that has a high viability of the lactic acid bacterium and an excellent resistance to acids. By adding lactic acid bacteria powder or a chocolate with a high lactic acid bacterium concentration to a chocolate dough after tempering and before molding, moreover, the present invention has succeeded in producing a lactic acid bacterium-containing chocolate including a viable lactic acid bacterium by a simple producing method. Thus, provided is a lactic acid bacterium-containing chocolate with high palatability that contains a viable lactic acid bacterium.

The present invention relates to a lactic acid bacterium isolated from human mother's milk, more precisely a Lactobacillus gasseri BNR17 strain that is isolated from Korean mother's milk and has excellent probiotic activity including acid resistance, bile acid resistance and antimicrobial activity and weight gaining inhibitory effect as well. Again, the Lactobacillus gasseri BNR17 of the present invention has excellent acid resistance, bile acid resistance, enteric absorption activity and antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms, in addition to the weight gaining inhibitory effect by synthesizing indigestible polysaccharides from monosaccharides included in food taken and releasing the synthesized polysaccharides out of the body. Therefore, the strain of the invention, owing to such beneficiary effects, can be effectively used not only for the production of fermented milk, other fermented food products and animal feeds but also for the production of live cell products and food additives for preventing weight gaining.