Natural Plasmids in a Swiss Fermented Milk and Colostrum Product assessed by Microbiome Array

Natural plasmids are present in fermented foods ranging from yogurts to sourdoughs, sausages, kimchi or pickling crabs. In this study, we describe the natural plasmids present in a product obtained by fermentation of bovine milk and colostrum. We used a microarray consisting in a chip covered in short DNA sequences that are specific to target microorganisms for a total of approximately 12,000 species. As far as plasmids are concerned, the array yielded 48 iterations, each one corresponding to a unique plasmid target. We discuss the putative role of some of these plasmids in contributing to the known properties of probiotics in supporting health and longevity.