Lactic acid bacteria as bioprotective agents against foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in fresh fruits and vegetables

Abstract

La present tesi doctoral es centra en l'aplicació dels bacteris de l'àcid lactic (BAL) com a agents bioprotectors davant microorganismes patògens i deteriorants.Es van aïllar i seleccionar BAL de fruites i hortalisses fresques i es van assajar in vitro davant 5 microorganismes fitopatògens i 5 patògens humans.Es van realitzar assajos d'eficàcia en pomes Golden Delicious amb tots els aïllats enfront les infeccions causades pel fong Penicillium expansum. La soca més eficaç era Weissella cibaria TM128, que reduïa el diàmetre de les infeccions en un 50%.Les soques seleccionades es van assajar enfront els patògens Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli i Listeria monocytogenes en enciams Iceberg i pomes Golden Delicious.Els BAL interferien eficientment amb el creixemet de S. typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes, però van mostrar poc efecte enfront E. coli.Finalment, es van realitzar assajos dosi-resposta amb les soques Leuconostoc mesenteroides CM135, CM160 and PM249 enfront L. monocytogenes. De totes les soques assajades, la soca CM160 va ser la més efectiva.

The present thesis focuses on the use of lactic acid bacteria as bioprotective cultures to inhibit pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms.<br/>Lactic acid bacteria were isolated and selected from fresh fruit and vegetables and tested in vitro against five plant pathogens and five human pathogen test bacteria.Efficacy trials with all the isolates were performed in Golden Delicious apples against the blue mould rot infections, caused by Penicillium expansum. The highest effectivity found in this assay was of about 50%, with strain Weissella cibaria TM128.Selected lactic acid bacteria were tested against Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes in Iceberg lettuce and Golden Delicious apples. Lactic acid bacteria interfered efficiently with the growth of S. typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes, but showed little effectivity over E. coli.Finally, dose-response assays were done with Leuconostoc mesenteroides strains CM135, CM160 and PM249 against L. monocytogenes.Among the three strains tested, strain CM160 showed the highest effectivity.