Researchers from the Agricultural University of Athens screened 29 different strains of Lactobacillus from diverse dairy sources, such as raw cow’s milk, feta cheese and brine, cheddar cheese and sour milk, and have isolated three strains of bacteria from these sources.

All 29 strains survived at pH 3 but only six kept their viability after one hour at pH 1. Greatest adhesion of bacteria to the intestinal wall was found for the strain L. pantarum ACA-DC 146, which was extracted from feta brine.
Adhesion to cells has been said to be essential for probiotic bacteria, and also stops harmful bacteria such as E. coli from adhering to the walls of the intestine. ACA-DC 146 inhibited E. coli adhesion by 40 per cent, while L paracasei subspecies tolerans ACA-DC 4037 and L. Casei Shirtoa ACA-DC 6002 also performed well. Further tests are planned to prove results.