Isolation of Probiotic Lactobacilli from Indigenous Yogurt and Cheese and Their Antagonistic Roles Against Foodborne Pathogens

 Probiotic bacteria are one of the useful dietary supplements for human health. The main reason for selecting probiotics is the lack of prolonged side effects.

 This study aimed to isolate lactobacilli from traditional yogurt and cheese samples collected in Neyshabur city, Khorasan Razavi, Iran, and to characterize them using specific biochemical and molecular assays.

 The probiotic potency of bacteria was tested by resistance to acid, bile, NaCl, and organic acid production. Moreover, the antagonistic effects of the isolates were investigated against enteric pathogenic bacteria using the well diffusion method. Bacteriocin production was also investigated using the microtiter plate assay.

 Four Lactobacillus spp. with > 99% homology to L. reuteri, L. plantarum, and L. acidophilus, were isolated with probiotic potency. The quantitative measurements used in the study with the statistical analysis resulted in the interpretation of good effects against Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes. Our isolates exhibited bile salt hydrolase activity, excellent NaCl and acid tolerance (pH = 3), and bacteriocin production.

 Our results showed that Lactobacillus strains isolated from Neyshabur traditional cheese could be considered good potential probiotic strains and had more antagonistic activity against human pathogens when compared to other samples. Their antibacterial activity was associated with both bacteriocin and organic acids production, but they should be further investigated for their human health benefits.