| Abstract | Albino rats were fed for six weeks on acidophilus milk or on fermented milk mixtures (1:1 v/v) of acidophilus milk and milk fermented with B. infantis, B. longum or B. bifidum. All cultured milk products significantly increased rats’ body weight gain compared to control with no effect on relative liver and spleen weights. The acidophilus milk exhibited a hypolipidemic effect in rats’ plasma and liver that greatly promoted by the incorporation of bifidobacteria. The observed hypolipidemic effect was inflected in rats plasma LDL and HDL cholesterol concentrations, however the atherogenic index values were comparable among all groups. Incorporation of bifidobacteria to acidophilus milk enhanced the antioxidant status of rats. This effect was evaluated by increasing the activities of the antioxidative enzymes, catalase and SOD, and a tendency to reduce the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBRAS) concentration in rats’ RBCs and liver mitochondria. In comparison with the control group, rats fed the cultured milk products resulted in a considerable increase in their intestinal fecal content of L. acidophilus and bifidobacteria, however the count of staphylococci and coliforms significantly reduced. |