A novel thermo- ethanol tolerant Acetobacter okinawensis KBMNS-IAUF-1 isolated from Iranian nectarine as a potential for nectarine vinegar production in food biotechnology

Abstract

Background Recently production of several types of vinegar using new strains of acetic acid bacteria is challenging. Results In this research we isolated a new strain of A. okinawensis from Iranian nectarine we obtained from nectarine garden at Isfahan, Iran. According to 16s-rDNA molecular analysis we named that Acetobacter okinawensis strain KBMNS-IAUF-1 and its partial 16s-rDNA sequence was deposited in GenBank, NCBI under the accession number of MG544095.1. The tolerance of A. okinawensis KBMNS-IAUF-1 against ethanol concentrations of 2%-10% and high temperatures of 34-38°C was investigated. This strain had good growth and acid production in 2%-5% ethanol at high temperature of 38°C and as a thermo-tolerant AAB had good growth in 5% ethanol at 38°C. Also produced 6% acetic acid in an economical industrial culture medium at high temperature of 38°C using a fermentor apparatus we designed for vinegar production. Conclusions This is the first report of isolation and identification of Acetobacter okinawensis KBMNS-IAUF-1 from Iranian nectarine as a high thermo- ethanol- tolerant AAB capable of high acetic acid production in a short period of time and is a very good candidate for production of a new type of vinegar, nectarine vinegar, in high temperatures and ethanol concentrations. The thermo- ethanol-tolerant AAB as potential for production of new types of vinegar with suitable flavor could be an asset in food microbiology as well as industrial biotechnology.