Thermoduric psychrotrophic proteolytic microbiota from refrigerated raw milk

Abstract

Thermoduric microorganisms may withstand high temperatures during the pasteurization of milk. Therefore, the microbiota in pasteurized milk consist of thermoduric microbes and directly influence the shelf-life of the milk. The aim of this study was to identify thermoduric psychrotrophic proteolytic microbiota in refrigerated raw milk. Twenty samples, previously heat-treated, were streaked and incubated at 7°C for 10 days. The strains isolated were streaked on milk agar to assess proteolytic activity and were initially analyzed morphologically by light microscopy and then by molecular techniques to identify the species. In 40% of the samples analyzed was observed only one bacterial growth and others 10 thermoduric psychrotrophic fungi. All isolates were proteolytic. The sequencing of 16S rRNA gene identified the bacterial strain as Bacillus pumilus and analysis of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of fungal isolates revealed the Cladosporium cladosporioides (60%), Curvularia geniculatus (10%), and the 3 remaining strains were identified as Geotrichum candidum (30%). This is a fist description of B. pumilus in Brazilian raw milk. Considering the spoilage potential of all isolates and of the fungi present in raw milk and their survival in pasteurized milk, it is extremely important to carry out further studies to your resistant to heat, their impact on the shelf-life of pasteurized milk, ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk and dairy products.