ABSTRACT
This study evaluated the antibiotic resistance characteristics and virulence genes of enterococci isolated from raw and processed seafood sold in the Marmara Region, Turkey. In this context, the enterococcal load was determined as between 1.0 and 2.5 log CFU/g in 39 of a total of 397 samples. It was determined that 117 strains isolated from the samples belonged to Enterococcus gallinarum, E. casseliflavus, E. durans, E. faecium, and E. faecalis species. Erythromycin, tetracycline, streptomycin, and gentamicin resistance was observed, whereas the tetM, ermB, aac(6')-aph(2'')-la genes were found in a majority of the isolates. It was also determined that the isolates carried the agg2 and gelE virulence genes. When all these results are evaluated, the presence of these isolates in aquatic products may pose a risk in terms of food safety and public health.
ABSTRACT
As potential probiotic traits of human milk-isolated bacteria have increasingly been recognized, this study aimed to evaluate the probiotic properties of bacteriocin-producing Enterococcus faecium strains isolated from human milk and colostrum. Among 118 human milk- and colostrum-isolated lactic cocci, only 29 were identified as Enterococcus. Of these, only four Enterococcus faecium isolates exhibited bacteriocigenic activity against several pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria, including Listeria monocytogenes. These isolates exhibited high acid (up to pH 3.0) and bile tolerance (0.5% oxgall) in simulated gastrointestinal conditions, demonstrating their ability to survive through the upper gastrointestinal tract. All of the E. faecium strains were shown to be sensitive to most of the antibiotics including vancomycin, tetracycline, rifampicin, and erythromycin, while they were resistant to kanamycin and chloramphenicol. None of the strains showed any virulence (gelE, agg2, clyA, clyB, clyM) and antibiotic resistance genes (vanA, vanB, ermB, tetM, and aac(6')-le-aph(2â³)-la). In addition, all the strains were able to assimilate cholesterol, ranging between 25.2-64.1% and they exhibited variable adherence (19-36%) to Caco-2 cells. Based on the overall results of this in vitro study, four of the E. faecium strains isolated from human milk and colostrum can be considered as promising probiotic candidates; however, further in vivo evaluations are required.
Subject(s)
Bacteriocins/metabolism , Colostrum/microbiology , Enterococcus faecium/isolation & purification , Milk, Human/microbiology , Probiotics , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Antibiosis , Bacterial Adhesion , Bile Acids and Salts/pharmacology , Caco-2 Cells , Cholesterol/metabolism , Drug Resistance, Bacterial , Enterococcus faecium/drug effects , Enterococcus faecium/genetics , Enterococcus faecium/metabolism , Gastric Juice , Humans , Listeria monocytogenes/physiology , Microbial Sensitivity TestsABSTRACT
Bioflavours are called natural flavour and/or fragrance compounds which are produced using metabolic pathway of the microorganism and/or plant cells or their enzyme systems with bioengineering approaches. The aim of this study was to investigate bioflavour production from tomato and red pepper pomaces by Kluyveromyces marxianus and Debaryomyces hansenii. Obtained specific growth rates of K. marxianus and D. hansenii in tomato pomace were 0.081/h and 0.177/h, respectively. The bioflavour profile differed between the yeasts. Both yeasts can produce esters and alcohols such as phenyl ethyl alcohol, isoamyl alcohol, isoamyl acetate, phenyl ethyl acetate and isovaleric acid. "Tarhana" and "rose" were descriptive flavour terms for tomato and pepper pomaces fermented by K. marxianus, respectively. Tomato pomace fermented by D. hansenii had the most intense "green bean" flavour while "fermented vegetable" and "storage/yeast" were defined as characteristic flavour terms for pepper pomaces fermented by D. hansenii.
