Lactic acid bacteria ecology of three traditional fermented sausages produced in the North of Italy as determined by molecular methods

In this study the bacterial biodiversity during the maturation process of three traditional sausages produced in the North of Italy (Salame bergamasco, Salame cremonese and Salame mantovano) was investigated by using culture-dependent and -independent methods. Eleven plants, in the three provinces considered here, were selected because starter cultures were never used in the production. The bacterial ecology, as determined by plate counts, was dominated by lactic acid bacteria (LAB), with minor contribution of coagulase negative cocci and yeasts. After molecular identification of 486 LAB strains, the species more frequently isolated were Lactobacillus sakei and Lactobacillus curvatus. This evidence was also confirmed by PCR-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE). All the samples analyzed were characterized by the constant presence of L. sakei and L. curvatus bands. A richer biodiversity was only detected at the beginning of maturation. The results obtained by the molecular characterization of the L. sakei and L. curvatus and by the cluster analysis of the DGGE profiles highlighted a plant-specific population, rather than a geographic characterization of the products, underlining how the environmental and processing conditions are able to select specific microbiota responsible for the main transformations during the fermentation and ripening of the sausages.     

Analysis of Minor Products in Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonation. Comparison Between the Traditional Gravimetric Method and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Procedures Versus High Temperature Gas Chromatography (HT-GC)

During the sulfonation process of the linear alkylbenzene (LAB) other products like sulfones and anhydrides are also formed in addition to the linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid (HLAS). Most of them are transformed in different degrees during the aging and hydrolysis steps of the overall sulfonation process [Moreno et al. (2003) J Surfactant Deterg 6(2):137–142]. The use of HPLC technique since 1988 and earlier the use of high temperature gas chromatography (HT-GC) enable the separation and quantification of all the components of the free oil (FO) of the sulfonic acids—anhydrides; LAB and sulfones. The purpose of this paper is to review the current knowledge about the free oil analysis and to discuss a new analytical procedure based on the HT-GC to quantify the free oil content. We will compare the results obtained using this new method with other analytical procedures (traditional gravimetry) and near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy.

Microcalorimetric study of the growth of bacterial colonies of Lactococcus lactis IL1403 in agar gels

Growth of Lactococcus lactis IL1403 in solid agar gels and liquid cultures at different glucose concentrations of 2, 10 and 20 g/L and different inoculation rates from 10⁰ to 10⁶ cfu/mL with the 10-fold increment was studied using thermal activity monitor TAM III. In parallel to calorimetric measurements the changes of glucose and lactic acid concentrations and pH of culture media were measured in order to obtain additional information for the interpretation of calorimetric power-time curves. Maximal specific growth rates of heat evolution proportional to growth rates of biomass μ_max (W/h), heat produced during different growth stages Q_TOT (J/mL), Q_ExP (J/mL) and duration of lag-phases λ (h) were obtained by processing calorimetric curves. The sizes of colonies were measured also at the end of growth using microscope. The data obtained together with calculated heat yield coefficient Y_Q (J/cfu) allowed to analyze and describe quantitatively the growth of individual colonies and develop a model of multistage growth of a typical colony of L. lactis in 1% agar gel. Microcalorimetry used in combination with other relevant methods is a very powerful and precise tool in studying solid-state fermentations.     

Isolation and characterisation of lactic acid bacteria from jiang-gua (fermented cucumbers), a traditional fermented food in Taiwan

BACKGROUND: Jiang‐gua (fermented cucumbers) is a popular traditional fermented food in Taiwan. The microflora of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in jiang‐gua have not been investigated in detail. In this study, LAB from jiang‐gua were isolated, characterised and identified. RESULTS: A total of 103 LAB were isolated; 70 cultures were isolated from jiang‐gua samples and 33 cultures were isolated from its raw substrate, cucumber. These isolates were mainly characterised phenotypically and then divided into seven groups (A‐G) by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and sequencing of 16S ribosomal DNA. The isolates were identified as Enterococcus casseliflavus, Leuconostoc lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus pentosus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus paraplantarum, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Weissella cibaria and Weissella hellenica. The antibacterial activities of the isolates were determined and 11 Lc. lactis subsp. lactis strains showed inhibitory activity against the indicator strain Lactobacillus sakei JCM 1157^T. CONCLUSION: Heterofermentative W. cibaria and Leu. lactis were the major LAB found in jiang‐gua samples without soy sauce. In soy sauce‐added samples, homofermentative L. pentosus and L. plantarum were the most abundant LAB. In addition, the results also suggested that HhaI and RsaI restriction enzymes could be applied to distinguish W. hellenica and Weissella paramesenteroides. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Selection of wild lactic acid bacteria isolated from traditional Egyptian dairy products according to production and technological criteria

A total of 755 wild lactic acid bacteria (LAB), belonging to Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Streptcoccus, Leuconostoc and Pediococcus isolated from Egyptian raw milk and its products were screened and selected according to their production and technological properties. Many strains showed high yield of biomass in fermentation and some strains were resistant to lyophilization conditions. Most strains showed a good separation after centrifugation, 2% of Lactococcus, 13% of Lactobacillus and 1% of Enterococcus were fast acidifying strains. Aminopeptidase and autolytic activity were generally higher for most lactobacilli compared to other strains. In milk cultures many strains were able to produce pleasant flavours. Antimicrobial activity was detected in 47% of Lactococcus, 21% of Lactobacillus and 41% of Enterococcus strains and some strains produced exopolysaccharides (slime and capsule). Several strains were able to maintain a high activity of two or three technological characteristics together. Detailed information about the characteristics of each strain is available in the culture collection of Faculty of Agriculture Alexandria University (FAAU). A wide variety of LAB from traditional Egyptian dairy products that showed potentially important properties are not only valuable for practical application but they may also provide an expanded gene pool for designing genetic modified strains with improved traits.     

Enzyme supplements in broiler chicken diets: in vitro and in vivo effects on bacterial growth

Increasing the growth performance of broiler chickens by supplementing their diets with exogenous enzymes can also contribute to positive changes in gut health. In this respect the growth of various bacteria normally associated with the gastrointestinal tract of poultry was assessed in vitro using a medium containing arabinoxylan, β‐glucan, guar gum and raffinose and their corresponding enzymes. Overall, enzymes releasing the largest amounts of free sugars yielded the largest increase in bacterial numbers. Accordingly, β‐glucan and raffinose treated with their respective enzymes promoted the largest number of bacterial types, reaching a minimum of 1.0 log₁₀ population within 6 h at 40 °C. A broiler chicken growth trial was also conducted using wheat‐, barley‐ and corn‐based diets with and without enzyme and probiotic addition. Escherichia coli, coliforms, enterococci and aerobic and anaerobic sporeformers were monitored for growth in both the caecum and ileum. Enzyme supplementation reduced E. coli levels in the caecum of broilers fed wheat‐ or corn‐based diets. A further reduction in E. coli numbers was observed in broilers fed the same diets supplemented with a combination of enzyme and probiotic. Enzyme supplementation had much less of an effect on microbial populations in the ileum. Inclusion of probiotics reduced E. coli levels in the caecum and ileum but only in broilers fed wheat‐ and corn‐based diets. Anaerobic spore levels in the ileum increased in all diets containing probiotic. Overall, inclusion of enzymes or probiotics exhibited mixed effects on gut bacteria, depending on the nature of the carbohydrate source and enzyme. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of aqueous extracts from dry Vaccinium corymbosum extracts upon food microorganism

As blueberries are rich in phenolic compounds, which possess a demonstrated antimicrobial activity, it may be interesting to further elucidate its real potential and properties. As such, the main goal of this work was to evaluate the potential antimicrobial activity of Vaccinium corymbosum dry fruits and leaves aqueous extracts against several contaminants/pathogenic microorganisms while at the same time assessing the effect of V. corymbosum over lactic acid bacteria.     

Purification of novel bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus coryniformis MXJ 32 for inhibiting bacterial foodborne pathogens including antibiotic-resistant microorganisms

Bacteriocins produced by LAB comprise a variety of antimicrobial proteins or peptides which can be used as food biopreservatives and/or possible antibiotic alternatives. Bacteriocin-producing Lactobacillus coryniformis MXJ 32, which was identified based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence, was isolated from a traditional fermented vegetable (Jiangshui Cai) of Xixiang county, Shaanxi province, China. Thereafter bacteriocin (designated as lactocin MXJ 32A) produced by L. coryniformis MXJ 32 was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis and ion exchange chromatography. The molecular mass of lactocin MXJ 32A was 3520 Da determined by LC-ESI/MS and the N-terminal sequence of lactocin MXJ 32A was NH₂-GEPGPMGPAGAD. Lactocin MXJ 32A had a broad antimicrobial spectrum including many Gram-positive and Gram-negative foodborne pathogens, in which even some antibiotic-resistant foodborne pathogenic strains could also be inhibited. The MIC of lactocin MXJ 32A for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was 10 mg/mL. Lactocin MXJ 32A showed good pH-stability and heat stability and was sensitive to proteolytic enzymes. It was shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that the possible mode of action of lactocin MXJ 32A was pore formation of the cytoplasmic membrane of target cells.     

Digital Doppelgängers: Future Scanscapes

Over the course of the last two years, ScanLAB Projects have explored various fragments of the natural and man-made world through the eyes of their forensic measuring machine. From surface mapping of Arctic ice floes in the Fram Strait (gateway to the Arctic) to the documentation of torture and detention sites in the Balkans, via the accidental editing of a Richard Long sculpture, to purposeful acts of detail theft from Foster and Wren. Here, Matthew Shaw and William Trossell discuss the capture, analysis and refabrication of their digital architectural doppelgängers.     

耐盐乳酸菌和酵母菌强化技术对高盐稀态发酵酱醪品质的影响

分别将耐盐乳酸菌Tetragenococcus halophilus CGMCC 3792、耐盐酵母菌Zygosaccharomyces rouxii CGM-CC 3791和Candida versatilis CGMCC 3790菌悬液接入酱醪中,利用顶空-固相微萃取偶联气质联用技术(HS-SPME/GC-MS)检测了发酵125 d酱醪中挥发性组分的变化。研究结果表明,T.halophilus CGMCC 3792强化的酱醪中酸类、醇类、酮类、呋喃类、吡嗪类和其他组分的相对含量降低,酯类、醛类和酚类组分的相对含量增加,其中苯乙醇、乙酸乙酯、辛酸乙酯、癸酸乙酯和4-乙基愈创木酚等的相对含量显著增加,而Z.rouxii CGMCC 3791、C.versatilis CGMCC 3790共培养强化的酱醪中醇类、酯类、醛类和其他组分的相对含量增加,酸类、酚类、呋喃类和吡嗪类组分的相对含量降低,其中苯乙醇、长链脂肪酸乙酯(月桂酸乙酯、棕榈酸乙酯、亚油酸乙酯等)的相对含量显著增加。此外,本研究中T.halophilus CGMCC 3792强化的酱醪中4-乙基愈创木酚的相对含量大幅增加,且在整个发酵过程中其含量也单调增加,对于T.halophilus CGMCC 3792是否具有分泌4-乙基愈创木酚的能力以及是否冷温工艺赋予该菌株合成4-乙基愈创木酚的能力需进一步探究。