Utilizing lactic acid bacteria for the cultivation of health-safe vegetables

Abstract

Background: Research on lactic acid bacteria has confirmed how specific strains possess probiotic properties and impart unique sensory characteristics to food products. The use of probiotic lactic acid bacteria in many food products, thus confers various health benefits to humans when they are frequently consumed in adequate amounts. Aim: To determine the effect of lactic acid bacteria on the growth of tomatoes. Materials and Methods: The lactic acid bacteria were cultured using the Lactobacillus medium from whipping cream and Dandelion (Taraxacum mongolicum) and identified using the MALDI-TOF MS automated microbial identification analyzer. A solution was prepared using Lactobacillus delbrueckii isolated from whipping cream and Lactobacillus gasseri isolated from Dandelion (10^7CFU/ml), and sterilized tomato seeds were watered for 10 days with the solution, while sterilized distilled water was used as a control. The germination rate of the seeds and the root length were measured and recorded every day. Results: The solution of L.delbrueckii bacteria isolated from cream germinated 100% of the seeds, which is 4% higher than the control seeds, while the solution of L.gasseri bacteria isolated from Dandelion germinated 100%, supporting 4% higher than the control seeds. Seedlings irrigated with the L.delbrueckii bacterial solution exhibited an average length of 10.3cm, which was 1.3cm longer than the control (P=0.003), indicating a statistically significant difference. Similarly, those treated with the L.gasseri solution had an average length of 11.5cm, 2.5cm longer than the control (P=0.005), also demonstrating statistical significance. Conclusion: The application of the lactic acid bacterial solution significantly enhanced both the germination of tomato seeds and the growth of the plants compared to the control solution.