Bile tolerance, deconjugation of conjugated bile salt (sodium taurocholate), and cholesterol-assimilating ability of 8 strains from Lactobacillus plantarum were examined. There was significant variation among strains in growth in MRS supplemented with bile and also variation in the ability to assimilate cholesterol. Varation among strains in the ability to deconjugate sodium taurocholate was not significantly different. It showed that there was no significant correlation between bile tolerance and sodium ta...