Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Genetic Identification and Technological Potential of Indigenous Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Alheira, A Traditional Portuguese Sausage

Nathália Fernandes
,
Ana Sofia Faria
ORCID logo ,
Laís Carvalho
,
Altino Choupina
ORCID logo ,
Carina Rodrigues
,
Ursula Gonzales-Barron
ORCID logo ,
Vasco Cadavez
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 16 October 2023 / Approved: 16 October 2023 / Online: 16 October 2023 (16:51:50 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Fernandes, N.; Faria, A.S.; Carvalho, L.; Choupina, A.; Rodrigues, C.; Gonzales-Barron, U.; Cadavez, V. Genetic Identification and Technological Potential of Indigenous Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Alheira, a Traditional Portuguese Sausage. Foods 2024, 13, 598. Fernandes, N.; Faria, A.S.; Carvalho, L.; Choupina, A.; Rodrigues, C.; Gonzales-Barron, U.; Cadavez, V. Genetic Identification and Technological Potential of Indigenous Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Alheira, a Traditional Portuguese Sausage. Foods 2024, 13, 598.

Abstract

Alheira is a naturally fermented meat sausage traditionally made in the Portuguese region of Trás-os-Montes. Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) have been found to be the dominant microorganisms in alheira. This study aimed: 1) to characterize technological features and in vitro antimicrobial activity of LAB isolates; and 2) to reveal associations between such phenotypic characteristics and the isolates genotypically identified to species level through amplification and sequencing of the 16S ribosomal gene. Sixty-two LAB isolates were identified and Enterococcus faecium was the most prevalent (32.3%), followed by Leuconostoc mesenteroides (19.4%) and Latilactobacillus sakei (17.7%), aligning with previous research on traditional Portuguese fermented meat sausages. The phenotypic analysis of LAB isolates indicated diverse acidification capacities, proteolytic activities, and inhibitory effects against foodborne pathogens. Comprising the technological attributes, L. paracasei and L. mesenteroides had higher proteolytic activity (3.46 and 3.43 mm), whereas E. faecium and L. paracasei stood out for their acidifying capacity, with mean pH after 6 h of 5.78 and 6.03, respectively. Overall, lactobacilli presented higher inhibition diameter against the pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium. Although the mechanisms for inhibition of pathogen growth needs to be further elucidated, these findings enhance our understanding of LAB diversity and functionality in alheira sausages, contributing to product safety and quality assessment.

Keywords

fermented sausage; lactic acid bacteria; food quality; phylogenetic analysis

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Food Science and Technology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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