Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum INIA P815: The first bacterium able to produce urolithins A and B from ellagic acid

Urolithins are microbial metabolites derived from ellagic acid by the action of intestinal bacterial. Potential beneficial effects of urolithins A and B on certain types of cancer and on muscular health during aging have been demonstrated. In this work, urolithin production by 48 strains of bifidobacteria and 1070 bacterial isolates from the faeces of a healthy woman whose intestinal microbiota produced uroltihins A and B was screened. Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum INIA P815 was the only strain able to produce urolithins A and B from ellagic acid. Influence of different media on the strain metabolism showed that the production of urolithins could be regulated. The identification of a bifidobacterial strain producing urolithins A and B opens the possibility for its application as probiotic in functional foods and in the development of nutraceuticals.