Improvement of Lipid Metabolism and Ovalbumin-Induced Type I Allergy by Use of Soybean Milk Fermented by 16 Indigenous Lactic Acid Bacteria

A new fermented product of soybean milk (designated “PS-B1”) was prepared by a four-step complex culture using 16 lactic acid bacteria of human intestinal origin. Because living lactic acid bacteria are completely removed by filtration of the fermented product, PS-B1 can be classified as a biogenic food. In the present study, we found that lipid accumulation was reduced significantly in 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with PS-B1. Moreover, the production of IgE in response to ovalbumin was attenuated in rats fed with a diet containing PS-B1. Thus, PS-B1 represents one of the few biogenic food able to alter both lipid metabolism and ovalbumin-induced type I allergies, and is expected to find application in preventive medicine.