[4-1015-C] Food Safety (1)

[4-1015-C-03] Safety Evaluation of Bacteriocinogenic Strains of Pediococcus acidilactici Isolated From Artisanal Cheeses

Luis Augusto Nero¹, Yosep Ji², Wilhelm Holzapfel², *Svetoslav Dimitrov Todorov¹ (1. Universidade Federal de Viçosa(Brazil), 2. Handong GLobal University(Korea))

Keywords:Pediococcus acidilactici, bacteriocins, virulence factors

Total DNA extracted from bacteriocinogenic Pediococcus acidilactici ST1607V, ST2104V and ST3105V, was been screened for presence of more than 50 genes related to production of biogenic amines (histidine decarboxylase, tyrosine decarboxylase and ornithine decarboxylase), virulence factors (sex pheromones, gelatinase, cytolisin, hyaluronidase, aggregation substance, enterococcal surface protein, endocarditis antigen, adhesion of collagen, integration factors) and antibiotic resistance (vancomycin, tetracycline, erythromycin, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, bacitracin). Pediococcus acidilactici ST1607V, ST2104V and ST3105V presented low frequencies of presence for virulence genes. Only few genes were detected in some strains, indicating their safety for application in fermented food products. Besides all beneficial properties studied for various LAB, most considered as GRAS, a special attention need to be addressed on the possible presence of virulence factors, production of biogenic amines and antibiotic resistance. Results from appropriate biochemical tests and detected main genes associated to virulence factors and antibiotic resistance in LAB strains, could be considered as potential hazard of application of this organisms in food products. Moreover, additional in vitro and in vivo experiments must be designed in the system simulating fermentation processes or GIT conditions in order to investigate deeper the possible expression of the present virulence genes.