Method for screening substances having IgA induction potential and bacterial strains of genus bifidobacterium

摘要

The present invention is to provide an easy, rapid method for screening a great amount of substances having IgA induction potential. The IgA induction potential herein mentioned means the potential to activate and enhance the activity of IgA production cells to produce secretory-type IgA in response to antigen. The present invention is to provide bacterial strains of genus Bifidobacterium obtained by the method for screening substances having IgA induction potential. More specifically, the present invention is to provide YIT 4061, YIT 4062 and YIT 4063. The three strains obtained by the present invention have strong IgA induction potential. Due to the fact that the Bifidobacterium strains have been known not to show any pathogenicity for humans and animals, the IgA induction potential of the three strains may be considered to be the one as adjuvant actions as non-specific stimulation of antibody production cells to process antigen more effectively, along with antigenicity as foreign bodies of themselves.