Molecular Identification of Lactobacillus from Austagram Cheese

Background: The most significant and frequently employed bacteria in the dairy food industry are lactic acid bacteria. To produce cheese commercially, carefully chosen starting cultures are needed. These starter cultures are mainly composed of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Methods: To isolate and identify Lactobacillus from Austagram cheese, biochemical tests were used and for molecular characterization, a PCR test was used. Result: A total of 112 raw cheese samples from different producers were analyzed for detection of Lactobacillus, of which 97 samples were found positive in primary isolation using culture media and the overall prevalence of Lactobacillus was 86.60%. In the case of a biochemical test, the overall prevalence was 81.25% and in the case of a PCR test, the overall prevalence was 73.21%. In the case of gram staining, the bacteria were stained blue and purple and rod-like bacilli or sphere-shaped cocci without spores were visible under the microscope. A total of 97 gram-positive microorganisms were identified as Lactobacillus, of which 61 were rod-shaped bacilli and the remainder, 36, were cocci. Molecular characterization of LAB strains found in traditional cheeses will improve our understanding of traditional food microbiota and help us find probiotic bacteria with significant benefits for industry and human health.