From Butter and “Hamoum”: Finding Beneficial Bacteria of Algerian Origin

Europe has long relied on a limited number of beneficial bacteria strains (“probiotics”) in its food industries, which were discovered or genetically modified long ago. Therefore, finding new types seems far-fetched, as most strains used today in functional foods come from the same old sources that have been scientifically studied and consumed to saturation.

Starting from this challenge, an Algerian research team sought to search for local strains in the products of the traditional Algerian food heritage. The team succeeded in isolating some of these strains and proved that they have promising properties that could redraw the map of the global probiotic industry. This achievement was announced in the journal “Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology.”

Beneficial bacteria (“probiotics”) live naturally in the body, especially in the intestines, and their source is some foods. These bacteria play an important role in maintaining microbial balance and the health of the digestive system. Contrary to the stereotype of bacteria as pathogens, these microorganisms help improve digestion, boost immunity, and resist harmful bacteria.

“Probiotic” strains are widely used in the food and dietary supplement industry, where they are added to products such as yogurt, fermented milk, and health drinks. They are also used medically in the treatment of intestinal disorders, the prevention of infections, and even the support of mental health through what is known as the “gut-brain axis.”

With the growing global interest in natural and safe alternatives, “probiotics” have become one of the most important modern trends in food and drug research.

Dr. Benbouziane Bouasria says: “During my doctoral studies at the National Institute for Agricultural Research in France, I noticed that there are two main approaches to studying beneficial bacteria (especially lactic acid bacteria).”

He adds: “The first uses genetically modified strains that have been engineered to exhibit certain traits such as acid resistance or the production of specific substances, but this trend faces significant legal and ethical obstacles in Europe due to restrictions on genetically modified organisms. The second relies on searching for natural (unmodified) strains that possess beneficial traits naturally, such as acid tolerance or the production of antibacterial agents, but Europe has huge banks of known strains, so it is very rare to find a new or unexploited type.”

He continues: “From here came my idea of returning to Algeria to explore the original local strains found in traditional products, which have not been studied before, with the aim of discovering new types of beneficial bacteria unknown globally, which could be of great industrial or health value.”

Bouasria and his colleagues began their mission by collecting samples from two famous Algerian products, namely municipal butter and fermented wheat known locally as “Hamoum” or “couscous mezeyet” or “Berweel,” and then transferring them to the laboratory for careful analysis.

In the first stage, the researchers used bacterial culture techniques to isolate living microorganisms from the samples and monitor their growth on special nutrient media. Then, the separated strains underwent precise genetic tests using the polymerase chain reaction technique (“PCR”) and sequencing of the “sixteen S rRNA” gene, which is the standard method for determining the genetic identity of bacteria.

To understand the role played by the two techniques, imagine if you wanted to read a sentence written in very small print on a piece of paper, but the letters are faint and cannot be read, but you got a tool that makes those letters clearer, this is what the “PCR” technique does, it amplifies specific parts of the genetic material, allowing researchers to obtain enough copies for analysis.

In other words, if the bacteria’s DNA is the “genetic instruction book,” then “PCR” acts as a photocopier that enlarges a specific page of this book so that scientists can study it in detail.

In this way, researchers can obtain a sufficient amount of genetic material to accurately identify the bacteria, then the scientists move on to the second step, which is reading the sequence of the “sixteen S rRNA” gene.

This gene is found in almost all types of bacteria, but it differs slightly from one type to another, just like a fingerprint that distinguishes each human being. By comparing the sequence of this gene with global databases containing thousands of known bacterial species, researchers can know to which species the new bacteria belong or whether it is a previously unknown strain.

Dr. Bouasria says: “We were able to isolate 12 beneficial bacterial strains from municipal butter and fermented wheat (Hamoum). These strains belonged to 3 main groups of lactic acid bacteria, namely “Lactiplantibacillus plantarum,” “Lacticaseibacillus paracasei,” and “Levilactobacillus brevis.”

The strains that were discovered belong to globally known types, meaning that they are not completely new types in terms of scientific classification, but they are considered new strains locally, as they were not known or isolated from traditional Algerian products before, and they are characterized by special specifications that distinguish them from their theoretical counterparts isolated from other countries.

Bouasria says: “Our results showed that “plantarum” and “paracasei” strains are characterized by strong growth when fed on both glucose and lactose, meaning that they are able to adapt to different nutritional sources, which is a required characteristic in the probiotic food and supplement industry. As for “brevis” strains, they showed slightly weaker growth in the presence of lactose compared to glucose, but they nevertheless retained their ability to survive in acidic and saline environments.”

When testing the isolated strains in conditions that simulate the harsh environment of the stomach and intestines, it shows that “all strains except one proved their superior ability to withstand, as their survival rate exceeded 90% even after exposure to bile acids, which is one of the most difficult challenges facing bacteria inside the body.”

He adds that “the tests also showed that all strains were completely safe, as they did not show any activity of the “deoxyribonuclease” enzyme or hemolytic properties, and they were sensitive to most types of antibiotics, which is a basic safety sign before their adoption in the food or health industries.”

He concludes from this that “the Algerian strains – especially “Lactiplantibacillus plantarum” and “Lacticaseibacillus paracasei” – possess strong probiotic properties that make them qualified to be a future local alternative to the imported strains that have dominated the European and Asian markets for decades.”

Despite these promising results, transforming the discovered strains into food or pharmaceutical products faces significant challenges. The most important of these is that maintaining the bacteria’s vitality and stability during manufacturing, storage, and transportation processes is one of the most difficult stages, especially since “probiotics” are organisms sensitive to heat, acidity, and oxygen.

Bouasria says: “Techniques such as microencapsulation are used to protect them, but they increase the cost of production and require sensory compatibility with the sensory properties of the food product. Also, the absence of national companies specializing in the production of industrial fermentation cultures in Algeria makes it necessary to establish partnerships with the industrial sector and develop a national infrastructure in this vital field.”

In addition to this applied challenge, the new discovery highlights the importance of the urgent need to establish a national bank for Algerian microbial strains to preserve this genetic wealth and invest it in the food, pharmaceutical, and scientific research industries.

He adds that “this bank can form a strategic platform for documenting and preserving local strains and making them available to researchers and manufacturers and promoting scientific and technological independence in the field of microbial biotechnology.”

By overcoming the challenges and succeeding in establishing the national bank, Bouasria believes that Algeria can in this way free itself from complete dependence on foreign companies that monopolize the global industrial strains market.

The global probiotic market has been dominated for decades by 3 major companies: the Dutch “DSM,” “Christian Hansen,” and the Danish “Danisco,” as these companies own thousands of registered strains and control most of the commercial production of beneficial bacteria used in food and supplements around the world.