The Genus Enterococcus: Between Probiotic Potential and Safety Concerns—An Update

Abstract

A considerable number of strains belonging to different species of Enterococcus are highly competitive due to their resistance to wide range of pH and temperature. Their competitiveness is also owed to their ability to produce bacteriocins recognized for their wide-range effectiveness on pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. Enterococcal bacteriocins have attracted great research interest as natural antimicrobial agents in the food industry, and as a potential drug candidate for replacing antibiotics in order to treat multiple drugs resistance pathogens. However, the prevalence of virulence factors and antibiotic-resistance genes and the ability to cause disease could compromise their application in food, human and animal health. From the current regulatory point of view, the genus Enterococcus is neither recommended for the QPS list nor have GRAS status. Although recent advances in molecular biology and the recommended methods for the safety evaluation of Enterococcus strains allowed the distinction between commensal and clinical clades, development of highly adapted methods and legislations are still required. In the present review, we evaluate some aspects of Enterococcus spp. related to their probiotic properties and safety concerns as well as the current and potential application in food systems and treatment of infections. The regulatory status of commensal Enterococcus candidates for food, feed, probiotic use, and recommended methods to assess and ensure their safety are also discussed.

A Commercial Probiotic Induces Tolerogenic and Reduces Pathogenic Responses in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

“…Finally, vehicle treatment was correlated with a higher abundance of Enterococcus, connected to higher clinical scores. However, information regarding the effect of Enterococcus on the host immune system is scarce, except that this genus is widely described to contain several pathogenic bacteria although some members are used as probiotics due to their capacity to secrete bacteriocins and prevent diarrhoea [70].…”

Microbial diversity of Livanjski cheese with the emphasis on lactic acid bacteria based on culture‐dependent and sequencing method

“…Enterococci can also produce bacteriocins against foodborne pathogens. The strains with bacteriocin production have already been tested and used practically as starter adjuncts (Havlíková et al ; Hanchi et al ). The highest interspecific diversity and density (cfu/g) of enterococci in samples of Livanjski cheese was expectedly found in the farm dairy with insufficient hygiene conditions.…”

In vitro characterisation of probiotic properties of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus durans strains isolated from raw milk and traditional dairy products

“…Enterococcus species have several biotechnological properties including bacteriocin production, probiotic characteristics and usability in dairy technology. Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus durans and Enterococcus faecalis are the most common Enterococcus species which can be found in dairy products (Foulquié Moreno et al ; Hanchi et al ). Some Enterococcus strains play an important role in cheesemaking and contribute to the development of sensory characteristics.…”