Isolation and identification of lactic acid bacteria from fermented meat products and evaluation of their antimicrobial effect

In this study, 30 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from 20 different fermented meat products obtained from the Afyonkarahisar province (Turkey). Molecular identification of these isolates was performed by amplification of the 16S rDNA gene using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. LAB isolated from 'sucuk' (spicy and fermented sausage) samples were identified as Enterococcus faecalis (2 isolates), Enterococcus durans (1 isolate), Lactobacillus sakei (3 isolates), Lactobacillus curvatus (2 isolates), Weissella viridescens (3 isolates), Weissella cibaria (2 isolates) and Weissella hellenica (1 isolate). LAB, isolated from salami samples, were identified as W viridescens (1 isolate), E. durans (3 isolates), Leuconostoc mesenteroides (4 isolates), Carnobacterium maltaromaticum (1 isolate), Macrococcus caseolyticus (1 isolate). Also, LAB, isolated from sausages samples, were identified as E. faecalis (1 isolate), E. durans (4 isolates), Lactobacillus plantarum (1 isolate). Both agar spot and agar well diffusion assay methods were used to determine the antimicrobial activity of the LAB isolates. Isolates of LAB showed higher antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19115, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Klebsiella pneumoniae NRRL B 4420, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 11778, Streptococcus faecalis NRRL B 14617 than against Escherichia coli ATCC 35218 and Bacillus subtilis NRS 744. Results showed that the LAB isolates produced antimicrobial substances that have a potential for different industrial and biotechnological uses.