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ABSTRACT
This study aimed to isolate and characterize viable lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from the most popular in Bulgaria fermented milk products. Different samples from home-made cheeses, yoghurt and katak, from ecological regions of Stara Planina, Rila and Rodopi mountains were collected. A total of 25 LAB cultures (coci and rods) were isolated and polyphasic taxonomic characterization was performed. Eight of the strains from yoghurt were phenotypically similar to Lactobacillus delbrueckii. Other seven isolates from cheese and yoghurt were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, according to classical tests and API LAB profiles. Their species affiliation was confirmed by species-specific and multiplex PCR. The molecular- based methods allowed reclassifying two cheese isolates determined as L. paracasei. L. plantarum was the predominant species in cheese samples and referred as member of non-starter lactic acid bacteria. Two of the new isolated L. plantarum strains showed anti-E. coli activity.