Probiotic Potential of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Moroccan Traditional Food Products

This study assessed the performance and potential use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from Moroccan traditional foods as probiotics in animal feed. Five LAB strains <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> from whey sourdough, <i>Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides</i> and <i>Leuconostoc mesenteroides</i> from goat cheese, <i>Enterococcus durans</i> and <i>Lacticaseibacillus casei</i> from fermented milk were isolated and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Probiotic traits were evaluated by measuring acid/bile tolerance, cell surface hydrophobicity, emulsifying properties, antimicrobial activity and organic acid production, and safety checked through hemolysis and antibiotic sensitivity tests. <i>L. plantarum</i>, <i>L. casei</i>, and <i>E. durans</i> showed high survival rates after 24 h of culture under acid/bile stress conditions. The surface hydrophobicity of all strains ranged from 14.4 to 39.2%. <i>L. plantarum</i> showed the highest emulsifying capacity (81.4%) and stability (20%) after 24 h. Most strains inhibited pathogenic <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>, <i>Bacillus cereus</i>, and <i>Escherichia coli</i>. Metabolite profiling revealed <i>L. pseudomesenteroides</i> as an interesting butyric acid-producing bacterium and <i>L. plantarum</i> as a remarkable strain releasing high content of organic acids. Their antibiotic susceptibility and non-hemolytic nature support their safety and potential use as feed additives.