Putrescine Production by KP 3-4 Isolated from Fermented Foods.

Polyamines are aliphatic hydrocarbons with terminal amino groups and are essential for biological activities. It has been reported that polyamines have health-promoting effects in animals, such as the extension of lifespan by polyamine intake. The identification of a high polyamine-producing bacterium from foods could lead to the development of a novel probiotic candidate. We aimed to identify high polyamine-producing bacteria from food, and isolated and collected bacteria from vegetables and fermented foods produced in Japan. We successfully acquired KP 3-4 isolated from Kabura-zushi as a putrescine producing lactic acid bacteria. Comparing the polyamine synthesis capability of KP 3-4 with that of typical probiotic lactic acid bacteria and strains available from the Japan Collection of Microorganisms, it was found that only KP 3-4 was capable of exporting high levels of putrescine into the culture supernatant. The enhancement of putrescine production by the addition of ornithine, and whole-genome analysis of KP 3-4, suggest that putrescine is synthesized via ornithine decarboxylase. The administration of KP 3-4 to germ-free mice increased the concentration of putrescine in the feces.