RESUMO
Fermented cereals are part of the main traditional diets of many people in Africa, usually obtained from artisanal production. The intensification of their manufacturing, responding to the consumers demand, requires a better control to ensure their sanitary, nutritional, and taste qualities, hence, the need of selecting accurate and safe starter cultures. In the present study, 48 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains, previously isolated from Algerian fermented wheat lemzeiet, were analyzed for different technological properties. 14 LAB strains, belonging to Pediococcus pentosaceus, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus brevis, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides species, decreased rapidly the pH of the flour extract broth close to 4 or below. 91% of strains showed extracellular protease activity, but only 12% were amylolytics. 18 LAB strains inhibited or postponed the growth of three fungal targets Rhodotorula mucilaginosa UBOCC-A-216004, Penicillium verrucosum UBOCC-A-109221, and Aspergillus flavus UBOCC-A-106028. The strains belonging to Lactobacillus spp., Leuconostoc fallax, L. mesenteroides, and Weissella paramesenteroides were the most antifungal ones. Multiplex PCR for biogenic amines' production did not reveal any of the genes involved in the production of putrescine, histamine, and tyramine for 17 of the 48 strains. The obtained results provided several candidates for use as starter culture in the future production of lemzeiet.