Molecular, technological and safety characterization of Gram-positive catalase-positive cocci from slightly fermented sausages

The population of Gram-positive catalase-positive cocci from slightly fermented sausages was characterized at species and strain level by molecular techniques and some technological and hygienic aspects were also considered. Staphylococcus xylosus was the predominant species (80.8%) followed by Staphylococcus warneri (8.3%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (5.8%) Staphylococcus carnosus (4.6%), and Kocuria varians (0.4%). Proteolytic activity was observed in 23% of the isolates. The species with the highest percentage of proteolytic strains was S. warneri. Lipolytic activity was found in 45.8% of the isolates and S. xylosus was the species with the highest percentage of lipolytic isolates. Biogenic amine production was not widely distributed (only 14.6% of the isolates). Tyramine was the most intense amine produced, although by only 4.6% of the isolates. Phenylethylamine was more frequently detected (10.8% of isolates) but at lower levels. Some strains also produced putrescine (3.3%), cadaverine (2.9%), histamine (1.3%) and tryptamine (0.4%). All isolates were susceptible to linezolid and vancomicin and over 70% were resistant to penicillin G, ampicillin and sulphonamides. Most of the mecA+ strains (only 4.6% of isolates) also displayed resistance to multiple antibiotics. A reduced enterotoxigenic potential was found. Only 3.3% of isolates showed staphylococcal enterotoxins genes, all identified as entC gene. The combination of RAPD-PCR and plasmid profiling allowed the discrimination of 208 different profiles among the 240 Gram-positive catalase-positive cocci characterized, indicating a great genetic variability.