Homemade traditional cheeses for the isolation of probiotic Enterococcus faecium strains.
One hundred twenty-two strains of Enterococcus faecium isolated from Tafí Cheese, a homemade traditional cheese of the highlands in the province of Tucumán, Argentina, were evaluated for their potential application as starter cultures in the manufacture of this traditional cheese. Eleven of the 122 strains showing limited delays in growth in oxgall were selected for the study of bile salts hydrolase activity (BSH), cholesterol reduction, antimicrobial activity, and virulence determinants. Nine strains were able to remove cholesterol in in vitro assays, a property that was closely related to the bile salt hydrolase activity. Only two strains produced active bacteriocins against Listeria strains although genetic evidence for the bacteriocin structural gene was found in six other enterococci strains. No virulence factors were detected in any of the 11 selected strains of enterococci.
Saavedra
Lucila
L
Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos-CONICET, Chacabuco 145, 4000 SM de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
Taranto
María Pía
MP
Sesma
Fernando
F
de Valdez
Graciela Font
GF
D001118:Argentina; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D002611:Cheese / Q000382:microbiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D008087:Listeria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019936:Probiotics
D001430:Bacteriocins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D002784:Cholesterol; D006867:Hydrolases