Mikrobiol. Z. 2020; 82(1):22-32. Ukrainian.
doi: https://doi.org/10.15407/microbiolj82.01.022

Biological Traits of Enterococci and Lactococci Isolated from Traditional Dairy Products of Ukraine

I.L. Garmasheva, N.K. Kovalenko, L.T. Oleschenko

Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology, NAS of Ukraine
154 Akad. Zabolotny Str., Kyiv, 03143, Ukraine

Aim. The purpose of the study was to invesigate biological properties of enterococci strains isolated from traditional dairy products and to evaluate their potential as starter cultures compared with lactococci strains. Methods. Ability to grow at different temperature and NaCl resistance were determined by traditional microbiological methods. Level of acid production was determined by change of milk pH after 6 and 8 h of incubation. Results. The ability to grow at 10°C revealed 66.3% of enterococci strains and 73.4% of lactococci strains, to grow at 45°C – 30.8% and 15.0% of strains respectively. Resistance to 6.5% NaCl was observed only in 10.3% of enterococci strains and 3.5% of lactococci strains. Enterococci strains resistant to 6,5% NaCl were most often isolated from bryndza samples, and rarely – from fermented milk. Resistant to 6.5% NaCl lactococci were isolated from cottage cheese and bryndza. Fast acid producer strains were found both among lactococci (44% of strains) and among enterococci (15% of strains). Conclusion. According to the intensity of acid production, strains of enterococci are identical to lactococci, which indicates the possibility of their use in the preparation of fermented milk products. The resistance of the studied enterococci strains to antibiotics does not meet the requirements for industrial strains and indicates the need for mandatory determination of the presence of virulence factors, in particular, resistance to antibiotics, in potentially starter cultures.

Keywords: enterococci, lactococci, resistance to NaCl, acid production, dairy products.

Full text (PDF, in Ukrainian)

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