In vitro evaluation of the safety and probiotic and technological potential of Pediococcus pentosaceus isolated from sheep milk

Abstract

Six isolates (Ac1Pd, Ac3Pd, Ac4Pd, Ac5Pd, Ac7Pd, and Ac22Pd) of Pediococcus pentosaceus from sheep milk were tested for safety and for probiotic and technological potential. The results showed that none of the isolates were able to produce biogenic amines or virulence factors. The isolates tested showed low hydrophobicities, high auto-aggregation capacities and co-aggregation with L. monocytogenes ATCC 7644, L. sakei ATCC 15521 and E. faecalis ATCC 19444, but none produced ?-galactosidase and bacteriocins. The isolates did not show growth at pH values 3 and 12, while in a pH range from 4 to 10 the growth was variable. In the absence of bile, all the isolates showed growth, with suppression at bile concentrations of 0.1%, 0.3%, 0.6% and 1.0%. In the disc-diffusion test, the isolates tested were resistant to oxacillin, sulfatrimethoprim and vancomycin but were sensitive to chloramphenicol and tetracycline. The isolates showed variable responses to penicillin G and were resistant to most of the drugs tested, except for amoxicillin trihydrate and ibuprofen. All cultures showed a high milk-acidification capacity after 24 hours and none produced exopolysaccharides. The isolates of P. pentosaceus were able to produce diacetyl; however, no culture showed extracellular proteolytic activity and the autolysis varied from 21.3% to 30.5% after 24 h. The isolates grew at NaCl concentrations of 4.0 and 6.0%, but the growth was lower at 10.0%. Finally, all the isolates were found to be safe but had limited application as probiotics and in some technological uses.