Screening of Riboflavin-Producing Lactobacilli by a Polymerase-Chain-Reaction-Based Approach and Microbiological Assay

Riboflavin has an important role in various cellular metabolic activities through its participation in oxidation reduction reactions. In this study, as many as 60 lactobacilli were screened for the presence or absence of riboflavin biosynthesis genes and riboflavin production. Of these, only 14 strains were able to grow in a commercial riboflavin-free medium. We observed that the presence of riboflavin biosynthesis genes is strain-specific across different species of lactobacilli. The microbiological assay was found to be appreciably reproducible, sensitive, rapid, and inexpensive and, hence, can be employed for screening the riboflavin-producing strains. The study thus represents a convenient and efficient method for selection of novel riboflavin producers. These riboflavin strains thus identified and characterized could be explored as potent candidates for the development of a wide range of dairy- and cereal-based foods for the delivery of in situ riboflavin to consumers.