Lactic Acid Probiotic Bacterial Consortia in Cheese Production

Milk fermentation and cheese sensory profiles depend on microbial activities. Probiotic bacterial strains improve cheese quality and impart specific functional properties to the final product. This article describes the effect of microbial consortia based on Enterococcus faecium JDC 86 (B-4054), Lactobacillus acidophilus 13 (B-2585), and Lactobacillus plantarum B (B-11264) on cheese. The study evaluated the following parameters: antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, NaCl tolerance, milk-curdling ability, and acidification. The B-4054:B-11264 (1:1 ratio) and B-2585:B-11264 (1:1 ratio) consortia proved to be antibiotic-resistant and exhibited antimicrobial activity against E. coli while maintaining milk-curdling and acidification capabilities. The B-4054:B-11264 consortium demonstrated the highest sensitivity to NaCl: 2.0% NaCl in the nutrient medium decreased the biomass (in optical density units) by a factor of 1.5, 4.0% NaCl by a factor of 6.3, and 6.5% NaCl by a factor of 18.4. In contrast, 2.0% NaCl reduced the biomass of the B-2585:B-11264 consortium by a factor of 1.01, 4.0% NaCl by a factor of 1.7, and 6.5% NaCl by a factor of 8.5. These consortia showed great promise for functional cheese production but require further research.