Lactococci of Local Origin as Potential Starter Cultures for Traditional Montenegrin Cheeses

Abstract

SummaryThe aim of this study is to characterise and examine the biochemical properties of 40 Lactococcus lactis strains isolated from indigenous Montenegrin dairy products in order to explore their potential to be used as starter cultures for producing typical Montenegrin cheese, such as 'bij eli sir', 'masni sir' and 'njeguški sir'. Their safety regarding the production of biogenic amines, the presence of antimicrobial resistance and the antibacterial activity against relevant pathogens and spoilage microorganisms has also been tested. Based on the characterisation, all strains belong to L. lactis ssp. lactis. Out of these 40 strains, 23 displayed rapid acidifi cation ability and proteolysis. However, none of the strains exhibited the ability of lipid degradation. Most of the strains were not associated with any health risk investigated. Summing up, a large percentage (27.5 %) of the tested strains showed good properties. These strains should be further examined for their possible application as specifi c starter cultures in the production of indigenous cheese in Montenegro.

Acid lactic lactobacilli as a biotechnological toll to improve food quality and human health

“…The use of starter microorganisms aims to promote a fast acidification of food products by sugar fermentation, obtaining lactic, acetic, butyric, and propionic acids . LAL frequently do not have ability to promote fast acidification of foods (starter); however, the ability to metabolize citrate, amino acids, polysaccharides, polyols, aldehydes and hydrolyze glycosides, synthetize and hydrolyze esters, proteolysis and peptidolysis are of great importance for the development of new aromas and flavors of foods (adjunct cultures) .…”

Identification, Classification and Screening for γ-Amino-butyric Acid Production in Lactic Acid Bacteria from Cambodian Fermented Foods

“…This represents a low-cost and reliable preservation technique [1]. Although LAB are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and partly have the qualified presumption of safety (QPS) status provided by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) [2,3], the growth of this group is completely uncontrolled and unpredictable, resulting in less uniform sensory characteristics and compositions [4]. Tailored commercial starter cultures would guarantee obtaining products with constant hygienic and organoleptic qualities in a shorter time and might also improve the stability and shelf life [5].…”

“…Since there is no commercial production of starter cultures for Cambodian products, universal cultures from other sources have to be used. Such cultures, however, are tailored to the needs of other markets and are not typical for Cambodian foods [4]. Moreover, many small-scale manufacturers are unwilling to accept changes and to modify fermentation processes [1].…”

“…Using autochthonous starter cultures, which can effectively preserve typical characteristics of fermented products, would be better accepted by producers [5]. A recent trend in food preservation is the use of safe starter cultures that show additional positive functions apart from technological and possible antimicrobial properties as well as stress resistance [4,5]. Such starter cultures would allow the production of Cambodian fermented foods with an additional nutritional value that meet the population's dietary habits and that are also more attractive for the international food market.…”

“…Thus, the objective of the present study was the identification of LAB from various Cambodian fermented fishery and vegetable products followed by an investigation of their ability to produce GABA. Hence, the first stage is to establish the precise identity of an isolate at genus and species level [4]. Currently, molecular techniques provide an important contribution to the identification and classification of microorganisms [15,16].…”