Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Lactobacilli and Pediococci isolated from traditional Algerian fermentation products

Abstract

In Algeria, as in many other countries of the world, there are several tradi-tional dairy products whose method of production has been driven from the cultural heritage of the population. These products are derived from the processing of milk in order to extend their shelf life. In the present study, a batch of 40 samples of fermented dairy products, collected from different regions in Algeria was subjected to a microbiological analysis, in order to determine the diversity of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacilli and Pediococci) and to study their technological characteristics. Among 463 lactic acid bacte-ria isolated, 168 strains were selected. A phenotypic identification, based on morphological and biochemical criteria has been performed followed by a genotypic characterization by PCR and sequencing of the gene coding for 16S rRNA, using advanced molecular techniques and large-scale bioinformatics software. The results obtained showed that the lactic acid bacteria isolated from the fermented dairy products belonged to the genera Pediococcus and Lactobacillus with a dominance of the genus Lactobacillus compared to the total number of identified strains. This confirm that Lactobacilli do have sta-ble growth in acidic environment.