Screening and characterization of Enterococcus durans isolates from raw organic milk in Southern Brazil: Assessing technological potential

Abstract

This study assessed 34 strains of Enterococcus durans isolated from 8 samples of raw organic milk collected in both winter and summer seasons, with the aim of evaluating their technological capability. To achieve this, the following traits were tested: diacetyl production capability, autolysis capacity, organic acid production, expression of proteolytic and lipolytic enzymes, antagonistic capacity against pathogenic bacteria, as well as resistance to different types of antibiotics, hemolysin production, gelatinase production, and biofilm formation ability, as virulence factors. It was observed that 2.9% of the isolates exhibited the ability to produce diacetyl and showed proteolytic and autolytic capacity. Additionally, 8.8% displayed autolytic capacity, and 5.9% exhibited antagonistic capacity against Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes, demonstrating that there are isolates with technological use potential.