Identification of lactic acid bacteria in traditional fermented yak milk and evaluation of their application in fermented milk products

In this study, 53 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from Xueo, a traditional fermented yak milk in the western Sichuan Plateau of China, were identified and their use in fermented milk was evaluated. All gram-positive and catalase-negative strains were divided into 6 groups at the level of 87% similarity using amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis. These groups were identified as 6 species using 16S rDNA sequence analysis and atpA gene analysis. The dominant LAB strains in Xueo were Enterococcus durans, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Lactobacillus paracasei, accounting for 45.3, 22.6, and 17.0% of isolates, respectively. Milk fermented with most of the representative strains was high in quality, exhibiting relatively high viscosity, moderate acidity, good sensory quality, and high counts of viable LAB. Fermented milk of E. thwarts SCA16 and L. fermentum SCA52 achieved the highest scores for overall sensory quality. Most strains displayed antimicrobial activity against at least 1 of 9 spoilage microorganisms. Lactic acid was the main factor inhibiting the growth of spoilage bacteria, and H2O2 was also inhibitory to some extent. Excluding the influence of acid and H2O2, strains SCA52 (L. fermentum) and SCA7 (Lactobacillus plantarum) were antagonistic against some of the indicators, suggesting that the 2 strains may produce a bacteriocin-like substance. Therefore, the development of superior strains isolated from Xueo to ferment milk with similar flavor and texture to Xueo is expected.