Diversity and Functional Properties of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Wild Fruits and Flowers Present in Northern Argentina

RUIZ RODRÍGUEZ, LUCIANA G.; MOHAMED, FLORENCIA; BLECKWEDEL, JULIANA; MEDINA, ROXANA; DE VUYST, LUC; HEBERT, ELVIRA M.; MOZZI, FERNANDA

Frontiers in Microbiology

Frontiers

Año: 2019 vol. 10

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are capable of converting carbohydrate substratesinto organic acids (mainly lactic acid) and of synthesizing a wide range ofmetabolites. Due to their interesting beneficial properties LAB are widely usedas starter cultures, as probiotics and as"microbial cell factories". Exploring LAB present in unknown niches maylead to the isolation of unique species or strains with relevant properties. Autochthonousrather than allocthonous starter cultures are preferred in the current industryof fermented products due to better adaptation and performance of autochthonousstrains to the matrix they originate. In this work, the lactic microbiota of eightdifferent wild tropical fruits and flowers were studied. The ability of theisolated strains to produce interesting metabolites to the food industry wasevaluated. The presence of 21 species belonging to the genera Enterococcus,Fructobacillus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus,Leuconostoc, and Weissella was evidenced by using culture-dependenttechniques. The isolated LAB corresponded to 95 genotypically differentiated strainsby applying Rep-PCR and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene; subsequently,representative strains of the different isolated species were studied for technologicalproperties such as: fast growth rate and acidifying capacity; pectinolytic and cinnamoyl esterase activities, and absence ofamino-biogenesis. Additionally, the strains´ capacity to produce ethyl esters aswell as mannitol was evaluated. The isolated fruit- and flower-origin LABdisplayed functional properties that validate their potential use in the manufactureof fermented fruit-based products setting the background for the design ofnovel functional foods.