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In this study, a polyphasic approach was used to study the ecology of fresh sausages and to characterize populations of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The microbial profile of fresh sausages was monitored from the production day to the 10th day of storage at 4°C. Samples were collected on days 0, 3, 6, and 10, and culture-dependent and -independent methods of detection and identification were applied. Traditional plating and isolation of LAB strains, which were subsequently identified by molecular methods, and the application of PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to DNA and RNA extracted directly from the fresh sausage samples allowed the study in detail of the changes in the bacterial and yeast populations during storage. Brochothrix thermosphacta and Lactobacillus sakei were the main populations present. In particular, B. thermosphacta was present throughout the process, as determined by both DNA and RNA analysis. Other bacterial species, mainly Staphylococcus xylosus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and L. curvatus, were detected by DGGE. Moreover, an uncultured bacterium and an uncultured Staphylococcus sp. were present, too. LAB strains isolated at day 0 were identified as Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, L. casei, and Enterococcus casseliflavus, and on day 3 a strain of Leuconostoc mesenteroides was identified. The remaining strains isolated belonged to L. sakei. Concerning the yeast ecology, only Debaryomyces hansenii was established in the fresh sausages. Capronia mansonii was initially present, but it was not detected after the first 3 days. At last, L. sakei isolates were characterized by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA PCR and repetitive DNA element PCR. The results obtained underlined how different populations took over at different steps of the process. This is believed to be the result of the selection of the particular population, possibly due to the low storage temperature employed.Fresh sausages are products made of pork, beef, or mixed meats, with the addition of salt, different aromas and spices, white wine, pepper, and garlic, depending on local preparation. The traditional Italian fresh sausage is produced only with the use of pork meat, pork fat, aromas, and salt. The meat and the fat are ground together in pieces that can have different dimensions based on the type of sausage to be produced. The different ingredients after mixing are used to fill natural casings from pigs or goats. The fresh sausages can be packaged in normal or modified atmosphere and stored at 4°C for a maximum period of 10 days.Fresh sausages are highly perishable products with a pH value not lower than 5.5 and water activity (A w ) equal to or higher than 0.97. Since no fermentation process is taking place during the storage at 4°C, the hygienic quality of the raw materials is the main factor affecting the final value of the product.The microbiological profile of the product is characterized by the presence of aerobes, facultative anaerobes, psychrotrophs, mesophiles, which are responsible for spoilage, and...

In this study, the microbial ecology of three naturally fermented sausages produced in northeast Italy was studied by culture-dependent and -independent methods. By plating analysis, the predominance of lactic acid bacteria populations was pointed out, as well as the importance of coagulase-negative cocci. Also in the case of one fermentation, the fecal enterocci reached significant counts, highlighting their contribution to the particular transformation process. Yeast counts were higher than the detection limit (>100 CFU/g) in only one fermented sausage. Analysis of the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) patterns and sequencing of the bands allowed profiling of the microbial populations present in the sausages during fermentation. The bacterial ecology was mainly characterized by the stable presence of Lactobacillus curvatus and Lactobacillus sakei, but Lactobacillus paracasei was also repeatedly detected. An important piece of evidence was the presence of Lactococcus garvieae, which clearly contributed in two fermentations. Several species of Staphylococcus were also detected. Regarding other bacterial groups, Bacillus sp., Ruminococcus sp., and Macrococcus caseolyticus were also identified at the beginning of the transformations. In addition, yeast species belonging to Debaryomyces hansenii, several Candida species, and Willopsis saturnus were observed in the DGGE gels. Finally, cluster analysis of the bacterial and yeast DGGE profiles highlighted the uniqueness of the fermentation processes studied.

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In this study, the fecal microbiota of 153 healthy volunteers, recruited from four different locations in Italy, has been studied by coupling viable counts, on different microbiological media, with ribosomal RNA Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (rRNA-DGGE). The volunteers followed three different diets, namely omnivore, ovo-lacto-vegetarian and vegan. The results obtained from culture-dependent and -independent methods have underlined a high level of similarity of the viable fecal microbiota for the three investigated diets. The rRNA DGGE profiles were very complex and comprised a total number of bands that varied from 67 to 64 for the V3 and V9 regions of the 16S rRNA gene, respectively. Only a few bands were specific in/of all three diets, and the presence of common taxa associated with the dietary habits was found. As far as the viable counts are concerned, the high similarity of the fecal microbiota was once again confirmed, with only a few of the investigated groups showing significant differences. Interestingly, the samples grouped differently, according to the recruitment site, thus highlighting a higher impact of the food consumed by the volunteers in the specific geographical locations than that of the type of diet. Lastly, it should be mentioned that the fecal microbiota DGGE profiles obtained from the DNA were clearly separated from those produced using RNA, thus underlining a difference between the total and viable populations in the fecal samples.

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