title: Safety and technological properties of bacteriocinogenic enterococci isolates from Tunisia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the safety and technological traits of previously isolated bacteriocinogenic enterococci strains for potential use as starter/adjunct cultures in foods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-five bacteriocinogenic enterococci strains previously isolated from different origins in Tunisia were screened for safety. Twenty-two strains did not harbour the genes coding for virulence traits, were susceptible to relevant antibiotics such as vancomycin, and tested negative for haemolysis, histamine production, gelatinase activity and DNase activity. These strains were further assessed for some technological properties, demonstrating low milk-acidifying ability, low proteolytic activity, high peptidolytic activity and diacetyl production in milk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed that 22 bacteriocinogenic enteroccoci strains did not present virulence features and could be safely applied in food preservation. Some strains also showed good technological potential as adjunct/protective cultures in milk fermentation and cheese production.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is one of very few studies that identified safe Enterococcus strains capable of producing a wide variety of enterocins against different spoilage and pathogenic micro-organisms that have good potential for application as adjunct/protective cultures in foods.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bacteriological Research, Institute of Veterinary Research of Tunisia, Tunis, Tunisia.|Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Bizerte, Tunisia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jaouani
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bacteriological Research, Institute of Veterinary Research of Tunisia, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: M S
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9673-193X
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Abbassi
authors.affiliation: CITA-A, Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agrárias dos Açores, Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bacteriological Research, Institute of Veterinary Research of Tunisia, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khemiri
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bacteriological Research, Institute of Veterinary Research of Tunisia, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mansouri
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, National School of Veterinary Medicine, La Manouba University, SidiThabet, Tunisia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Messadi
authors.affiliation: CITA-A, Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agrárias dos Açores, Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal.
authors.forename: C C G
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002611:Cheese / Q000382:microbiology; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005285:Fermentation; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D014416:Tunisia; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001430:Bacteriocins; D037521:Virulence Factors
keywords: Enterococcus; bacteriocins; food preservation; food safety; lactic acid bacteria