Prevalence of Clostridium spp.,in Kashar cheese and efficiency of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactococcus lactis subsp.lactis mix as a biocontrol agents for Clostridium spp.

Clostridium sporogenes and Clostridium tepidium strains were detected in traditional Kashar cheese samples with late blowing characteristics.To control Clostridium spp.,in Kashar cheese,dairy originated Lactic Acid Bacteria(LAB)strains were tested under in vitro conditions and during Kashar production.Two strains,Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactococcus lactis subsp.lactis demonstrated anticlostridial activity in vitro and the co-inoculum of these two strains(107 cfu g^(-1))were tested during the challenge test on Kashar cheese production in which a contamination ratio of 10^(4) cfu g^(-1) with spores of Cl.sporogenes were applied.Kashar samples were stored at 4℃ and 25℃ during 40 days of storage period and microbiological and physicochemical properties of Kashar samples were determined during this period.A decrement of nearly 1 log cfu g^(-1) in Cl.sporogenes numbers was observed in Kashar samples produced with co-inoculum of Lb.plantarum and L.lactis subsp.lactis stored at 4℃ but this was not the case for the Kashar samples stored at 25℃.This study revealed the potential of distinct LAB strains to control Cl.sporogenes spores in semi-hard cheese samples as biocontrol agents at 4℃ storage.

The Citrate Metabolism in Homo-and Heterofermentative LAB:A Selective Means of Becoming Dominant over Other Microorganisms in Complex Ecosystems

The citrate metabolism has been extensively studied in lactic acid bacteria (LAB) for its aroma compound production. Among the 4-carbon (C4) by-products obtained from citrate fermentation, diacetyl is one of the better known products for its contribution to the buttery aroma of dairy products. A lot of documents deal with ways to improve diacetyl concentration in food matrices. Apart from these organoleptic advantages, in a microbial ecosystem, the citrate metabolism gives selective advantages to citrate positive microorganisms. Citrate metabolism allows the LAB to use another carbon source for their growth, withstand acidic conditions and generate a “proton motive force” (PMF). Moreover, the citrate/glucid co-metabolism leads to the fast release of organic compounds known for having bacteriostatic effects. Under specific conditions, the C4?pathway liberates diacetyl which is bacteriostatic. In this review we first describe the citrate metabolism and the enzymes involved in the two homo- and heterofermentative LABLc diacetylactisandLeuconostocspp. Moreover, the way to shift the metabolic pathway toward the production of aromatic compounds is discussed for both of these fermentative types of bacteria. Finally, the selective advantages of citrate metabolism for LAB in complex microbial ecosystems are delineated.