Technological Characterisation of Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria as Starter Cultures for Dry Fermented Sausages

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate probiotic microorganisms for use as starter cultures in dry fermented sausages production. A total of eight strains were studied evaluating technological and safety characteristics including the ability to grow, lactic acid production, gas formation, catalase activity, nitrate reductase activity, proteolytic activity, lipolytic activity, hydrogen peroxide production, salt tolerance, performance at low temperatures, decarboxylation of amino acids and antimicrobial activity against pathogens associated with the product. Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011, L. rhamnosus Lr-32, Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37, Lactobacillus casei Shirota and Enterococcus faecium MXVK29 were good candidates for use as fermented sausages starters cultures because they showed the best technological and safety properties since they did not demonstrate amino acid decarboxylation but showed antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella Dublin and Staphylococcus aureus. L. rhamnosus Lr-32 was the strain best tolerating the levels of salt, nitrate and low pH during the simulated stages of fermentation and ripening of sausage. The strain was thus the most promising of the tested probiotics as sausage starter culture. The findings warrant studies in a meat matrix, such as that of raw-cured sausage, to evaluate the effects of L. rhamnosus Lr-32 under actual conditions.

Comparison of the Effect of Enhancing Dry Fermented Sausages with Salvia hispanica and Nigella sativa Seed on Selected Physicochemical Properties Related to Food Safety during Processing

“…The rapid growth of LAB is important to become dominant and competitive against foodborne pathogens such as Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. As mentioned before, the principal role of LAB is to acidify the matrix through lactic acid generated by the fermentation of carbohydrates [40]. One of the most frequently detected pathogens in dry fermented sausages is the L. monocytogenes.…”

“…The main function of this bacteria is to reduce the pH through the production of lactic acid from the fermentation of sugars [39]. However, the production of acids also depends on the concentration and type of sugars added and the diameter of the sausages [40]. The lowest pH achieved with chia sausages on Day 20 of the production process is due to the highest proliferation of LAB in this type of sausages.…”

“…The reason is because after the ripening stage, the water activities of sausages ranged from 0.813-0.798, and pH was under 6.0. Furthermore, L. monocytogenes could not compete due to the high population of LAB [40,49].…”

Sausages: Nutrition, Safety, Processing and Quality Improvement

“…With this aim, the use of probiotic strains as starter cultures needs a previous study on their technological characteristics to take advantage of their beneficial activities and avoid their undesirable effects on the quality and safety of sausages. Agüero et al [ 12 ] evaluated the in vitro technological and safety characteristics in eight LAB strains having proved probiotic activity. They reported that some of them are good candidates for use as starter cultures in fermented sausages because their metabolic performances including antimicrobial activity against some of the most known pathogens.…”

Effect of inoculating Lactobacillus sakei strains alone or together with Staphylococcus xylosus on microbiological, physicochemical, fatty acid profile, and sensory quality of Tunisian dry‐fermented sausage

“…The fermentation of the meat and its preservation are then ensured by the production of lactic acid and other compounds, such as bacteriocins, inhibiting pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. On the other hand, some exo‐polysaccharides‐producing strains are considered deleterious for fish products (Marceau et al., 2001), whereas strains of L. sakei that produce hydrogen peroxide are also believed to be toxic to organisms that produce little or no H 2 O 2 ‐scavenging enzymes (e.g., catalase) (Agüero et al., 2020). Typically, CNS species such as Staphylococcus carnosus and S. xylosus (Stavropoulou et al., 2018) and yeasts, such as Debaryomyces spp.…”