title: Diversity and functional characterization of Lactobacillus spp. isolated throughout the ripening of a hard cheese.
abstract: The aim of this work was to study the Lactobacillus spp. intra- and inter- species diversity in a Piedmont hard cheese made of raw milk without thermal treatment and without addition of industrial starter, and to perform a first screening for potential functional properties. A total of 586 isolates were collected during the cheese production and identified by means of molecular methods: three hundred and four were identified as Lactobacillus rhamnosus, two hundred and forty as Lactobacillus helveticus, twenty six as Lactobacillus fermentum, eleven as Lactobacillus delbrueckii, three as Lactobacillus pontis, and two as Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus reuteri, respectively. A high genetic heterogeneity was detected by using the repetitive bacterial DNA element fingerprinting (rep-PCR) with the use of (GTG)5 primer resulting in eight clusters of L. helveticus and sixteen clusters in the case of L. rhamnosus. Most of isolates showed a high auto-aggregation property, low hydrophobicity values, and a general low survival to simulated digestion process. However, sixteen isolates showed promising functional characteristics.
authors.affiliation: University of Torino, DISAFA, Agricultural Microbiology and Food Technology Sector, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco, Torino, Italy. Electronic address: joaquin.bautistagallego@unito.it.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bautista-Gallego
authors.affiliation: University of Torino, DISAFA, Agricultural Microbiology and Food Technology Sector, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alessandria
authors.affiliation: Biraghi S.p.A, Via Cuneo 1, Cavallermaggiore, 12030 Cuneo, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.affiliation: Biraghi S.p.A, Via Cuneo 1, Cavallermaggiore, 12030 Cuneo, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bisotti
authors.affiliation: Biraghi S.p.A, Via Cuneo 1, Cavallermaggiore, 12030 Cuneo, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taricco
authors.affiliation: University of Torino, DISAFA, Agricultural Microbiology and Food Technology Sector, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dolci
authors.affiliation: University of Torino, DISAFA, Agricultural Microbiology and Food Technology Sector, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cocolin
authors.affiliation: University of Torino, DISAFA, Agricultural Microbiology and Food Technology Sector, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rantsiou
mesh_terms: D058491:Bacterial Load; D044822:Biodiversity; D002611:Cheese / Q000382:microbiology*; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005511:Food Handling; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D013995:Time
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial
keywords: Functional properties; Hard cheese; REP-PCR; RSA-PCR