Isolation, identification and technological properties of lactic acid bacteria from raw cow milk / Isolamento, identificação e propriedades tecnológicas de bactérias ácido lácticas a partir de leite de vaca cru

Lactic acid bacteria are used as starter culture for the production of fermented dairy products, and that occur naturally as indigenous microbiota of the raw milk. In this study, lactic acid bacteria were isolated from raw cow milk samples. The serial dilutions of raw milk were made and plated onto LM17 agar and MRS agar adjusted to pH 5.4. The isolates were firstly identified based on cell morphology, reaction to gram stain, catalase production, growth in MRS broth containing 2%, 4%, and 6.5% NaCl, growth ability of different temperatures and formation of gas in MRS broth. Acid formation in 10% reconstituted skim milk and antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 7644, Stapylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, and Clostridium perfringens ATCC 13124 were examined using agar well diffusion method. The total of 90 LAB isolates were classified as Lactobacillus (37.78%), Lactococcus (36.67%), Enterococcus (20.00%), Streptococcus (4.44%), and Leuconostoc (1.11%). Based on technological properties, 56 of 90 isolates (42 cocci, 14 rods) were selected, and further identified at the species level using API 20 Strep and API 50 CH identification system, respectively. The Lactobacillus isolates were identified as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The enzymatic profiles of the 17 selected isolates were studied with API ZYM system. The Lactobacillus spp. strains tested displayed high leucine arylamidase activity. Two Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis AKS320.1 and AKS320.2 strains and one Enterococcus faecalis AKS424 strain were able to produce bacteriocin. In conclusion, some of these isolates could be considered as potential starter culture candidates for fermented milk products.

Bactérias de ácido lático são utilizadas como cultura inicial para a produção de produtos lácteos fermentados e que ocorrem naturalmente como microbiota indígena do leite cru. Neste estudo, as bactérias ácido lácticas foram isoladas a partir de amostras de leite cru de vaca. As diluições em série do leite cru foram feitos e plaqueadas em ágar LM17 e agar MRS ajustado para pH 5,4. Os isolados foram primeiramente identificados com base na morfologia das células, coloração pelo Método de Gram, produção de catalase, crescimento em caldo MRS contendo 2%, 4%, e 6,5% de NaCl, a capacidade de crescimento de diferentes temperaturas e formação de gás em caldo MRS. Foram avaliadas a formação de ácido em 10% de leite desnatado reconstituído e propriedades antagonistas contra os agentes patogênicos de origem alimentar Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 7644, Stapylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, e Clostridium perfringens ATCC 13124, usando o método de difusão em agar. O total de 90 isolados de laboratório foram classificados como Lactobacillus (37,78%), de Lactococcus (36,67%), Enterococcus (20,00%), Streptococcus (4,44%), e Leuconostoc (1,11%). Com base em propriedades tecnológicas, foram selecionados 56 dos 90 isolados (42 cocos, 14 hastes) e identificados ao nível das espécies usando o sistema de identificação API 20 Strep e API 50 CH, respectivamente. Os isolados de Lactobacillus foram identificados como Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis e Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Os perfis enzimáticos dos 17 isolados selecionados foram estudados por meio do sistema API ZYM. As cepas de Lactobacillus possuem alta atividade de arilamidase leucina. Duas cepas de Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis AKS320,1 e AKS320,2 cepas e um Enterococcus faecalis AKS424 estirpe foram capazes de produzir bacteriocina. Em conclusão, alguns destes isolados poderiam ser considerados como potenciais candidatos de cultura iniciadora para produtos à base de leite fermentados.

Cloning and Overexpression of the als, pflA, and adhB Genes in Streptococcus thermophilus and Their Effects on Metabolite Formation.

Streptococcus thermophilus is a lactic acid bacterium and used as starter culture in the dairy industry, mainly in the manufacture of yoghurt, with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. It produces lactic acid as a major fermentation end product and some carbonyl compounds through sugar metabolism. The level of metabolites could be improved using molecular biotechnology. The genes of als, encoding α-acetolactate synthase (Als), the pflA, encoding pyruvate-formate lyase activating enzyme (PflA), and the adhB which encodes alcohol dehydrogenase (AdhB) of S. thermophilus NCFB2393 strain were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and separately cloned into the overexpression vector pNZ276 under the control of the lacA promoter. The strains were transformed individually with the constructed plasmids. Their abilities to generate important metabolites such as pyruvate, lactate, formate, acetaldehyde, acetoin, ethanol, and 2,3-butanediol in LM17 medium were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. High level of 2,3-butanediol was obtained by overexpressing the als gene. The level of formate increased slightly by overexpressing the pflA gene. The overexpression of the adhB gene, on the other hand, resulted in a significant increase in the ethanol level.

Heterologous expression and purification of NisA, the precursor peptide of lantibiotic nisin from Lactococcus lactis.

The lantibiotic nisin is a ribosomally synthesised and post-translationally modified antimicrobial peptide produced by strains of Lactococcus lactis, and used as safe and natural preservative in food industry. The nisA structural gene encodes ribosomally synthesised and biologically inactive a 57 amino acid precursor peptide (NisA) which undergoes several post-translational modifications. In this study, we report the expression of precursor nisin as a His6-tagged peptide in Escherichia coli and its purification using a nickel affinity column. The technique of spliced-overlap extension PCR was used to amplify the nisA gene and the T7 promoter region of pET-15b vector. This approach was used to introduce six histidine residues at the C-terminus of prenisin. The identity of the expressed peptide was confirmed by N-terminal sequencing. The expressed His-tagged prenisin was purified under denaturing conditions, and named as prenisin-His6. The purified prenisin-His6 was analyzed by SDS-PAGE, Western blotting and mass spectroscopy. These results showed that the nisin precursor peptide can be successfully produced using an E. coli expression system.