Leuconostoc carnosum Associated with Spoilage of Refrigerated Whole Cooked Hams in Greece

Abstract

A polyphasic taxonomic approach was used to identify a major atypical group of gas-forming, arginine-negative lactic acid bacteria associated with spoilage of whole (nonsliced) refrigerated (4 degrees C) cooked hams produced in two Greek industrial meat plants. Biochemical characterization revealed that the ham isolates shared their phenotypic properties with Leuconostoc carnosum, Weissella viridescens, and Weissella hellenica. However, gas chromatographic analysis of cellular fatty acids clearly differentiated the ham isolates from the Weissella spp. None of the isolates contained eicosenoic acid (n-C20:1), which is typically synthesized by W. viridescens, but all strains contained high amounts of C 19cycl acid, which is absent in W. hellenica and has been found in trace amounts in W. viridescens. All strains had similar cellular fatty acid profiles, which were qualitatively similar to those of the cellular fatty acids of L. carnosum. In addition to the phenotypic and chemotaxonomic tests, three representative isolates were studied using a lactic acid bacteria database, which employs 16S and 23S HindIII restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns as operational taxonomic units in a numerical analysis. The isolate patterns were identical to those of the L. carnosum type strain, NCFB 2776T. Based on the polyphasic taxonomic approach, the dominating lactic acid bacteria group was identified as L. carnosum.

Analysis of Microbiota Structure and Potential Functions Influencing Spoilage of Fresh Beef Meat

“…The significantly different pathways between groups (Welch's t-test q < 0.01) are shown. (Samelis et al, 2006;Doulgeraki et al, 2010;Pothakos et al, 2015). Therefore, spoilage genera in the samples of groups 2, 3, and 4 could dominate by producing acid and, as a result, could be related to beef spoilage in beef meat.…”

Meat Spoilage: A Critical Review of a Neglected Alteration Due to Ropy Slime Producing Bacteria

“…Essential oils originating from oregano, thyme, basil, marjoram, lemongrass, ginger and clove were investigated in vitro (Barbosa et al, 2009) and on meat products (Burt, 2004;Fratianni et al, 2010) and found capable of affecting the growth and metabolic activity of foodborne microbiota (Skandamis and Nychas, 2001). Bacteriocins are microbial heat-stable peptides, active towards other bacteria (Gálvez et al, 2007); they are added as biopreservatives to improve the microbial stability and safety of chill-stored fresh and cooked meat (Samelis et al, 2006). In the EU, nisin (E234), a polypeptide produced by Lactococcus lactis, and natamycin (E235), produced by Streptomyces natalensis, are currently the only commercially available bacteriocins (Ercolini et al, 2010;Doulgeraki et al, 2012).…”

“…amelibiosum Aymerich et al, 2002;Hu et al, 2009) L. gelidum subsp. gasicomitatum (Korkeala and Björkroth, 1997) (Borch et al, 1996;Aymerich et al, 2002;Jaaskelainen et al, 2013) Sliced cooked ham Vacuum L. carnosum (Bjorkroth et al, 1998;Samelis et al, 2006;Nychas et al, 2008;Packaged Vasilopoulos et al, 2008;Krockel, 2013 al., 1988): sourness (LAB produce lactic and acetic acid during logarithmic and stationary phase of growth), gas formation (increase in CO2 concentration in packages during storage, attributed to metabolic by-products of the heterofermentative lactobacilli and Leuconostoc spp. ), slime and grey liquid (in some cases, the slime formation may be copious and unacceptable for selling; the amount increases with storage time and the appearance of the drip changes from transparent to white or grey ) and ropy slime formation (Borch and Nerbrink, 1989;Bjorkroth and Korkeala, 1997b).…”

Alkyl hydroperoxide reductase enhances the growth of Leuconostoc mesenteroides lactic acid bacteria at low temperatures

“…Therefore, to ensure the safety of stored food and reduce such risks, elucidation of the cold-adaptation mechanism of LAB in food products is important. LAB that are closely related to Leuconostoc mesenteroides , Lactococcus lactis , Leuconostoc citreum, and Weissella viridescens grow rapidly at temperatures below 10°C (Borch et al 1996 ; Chenoll et al 2007 ; Diez et al 2009 ; Hamasaki et al 2003 ; Metaxopoulos et al 2002 ; Samelis et al 2006 ; Samelis et al 1998 ), and are frequently isolated from spoiled cooked meat products stored at 10°C. These findings suggest a unique system of adaptation to low temperatures, causing rapid food spoilage in the refrigerator.…”