Caciotta della Garfagnana cheese: selection and evaluation of autochthonous mesophilic lactic acid bacteria as starter cultures

Figures & data

Table 1 Lactic acid bacteria strains from raw milk and Caciotta della Garfagnana cheese submitted to strain characterisation.

Identified species	Strain number	Source
Lb. paracasei	Lb3	Milk
Lb. paracasei	Lb12	Curd
Lb. paracasei	Lb20	Curd
Lb. paracasei	Lb46	Curd
Lb. paracasei	Lb27	2-d cheese
Lb. paracasei	Lb34	2-d cheese
Lb. paracasei	Lb59	2-d cheese
Lb. paracasei	Lb66	7-d cheese
Lb. paracasei	Lb83	7-d cheese
Lb. paracasei	Lb76	14-d cheese
Lb. paracasei	Lb101	21-d cheese
Lb. paracasei	Lb106	21-d cheese
Lb. rhamnosus	Lb91	14-d cheese
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc5	Milk
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc14	Curd
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc23	Curd
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc45	Curd
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc30	2-d cheese
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc61	2-d cheese
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc72	2-d cheese
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc50	7-d cheese
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc81	14-d cheese
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc86	14-d cheese
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc94	14-d cheese
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc90	21-d cheese
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc96	21-d cheese
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc98	21-d cheese
Lc. lactis subsp. lactis	Lc104	21-d cheese

Lb, Lactobacillus; Lc, Lactococcus.

Table 2 Strain characterisation of lactic acid bacteria isolated from raw milk and Caciotta della Garfagnana cheese.

	Acidifying activity, ΔpH			Proteolytic activity, μg glycine/mL
ID	6h	18h	24h
Lb3	0.36	0.61	0.66	23.88
Lb12	0.28	0.55	0.57	25.77
Lb20	0.38	0.62	0.68	42.96
Lb46	0.25	0.55	0.56	41.15
Lb27	1.05	0.72	1.94	24.60
Lb34	0.34	0.66	0.70	24.54
Lb59	0.26	0.52	0.52	35.72
Lb66	0.33	0.69	0.79	26.02
Lb83	0.45	0.76	0.82	34.12
Lb76	0.42	2.32	1.75	28.46
Lb101	1.07	2.12	2.66	69.78
Lb106	0.35	0.68	1.33	23.49
Lb91	0.33	0.82	1.27	45.76
Lc5	0.25	0.66	0.96	90.06
Lc14	0.20	0.70	0.99	122.15
Lc23	0.05	0.60	0.98	89.83
Lc45	1.57	2.12	2.34	230.52
Lc30	0.08	0.72	0.99	134.61
Lc61	0.14	0.63	0.89	98.09
Lc72	0.30	0.72	1.02	202.74
Lc50	0.22	0.64	0.89	99.22
Lc81	0.54	0.83	1.42	152.63
Lc86	0.77	0.98	1.61	94.54
Lc94	0.22	0.64	0.88	116.35
Lc90	0.16	0.94	2.50	132.12
Lc96	0.19	0.67	0.79	93.45
Lc98	0.56	1.16	1.75	124.76
Lc104	0.13	0.59	1.72	230.14

Lb, Lactobacillus; Lc, Lactococcus.

Table 3 Ability to grow in association of selected lactic acid bacteria isolated from Caciotta della Garfagnana cheese.

	Lb27				Lb76				Lb91				Lb101
	mean values, log cfu/mL				mean values, log cfu/mL				mean values, log cfu/mL				mean values, log cfu/mL
Lc	Lc+	Lb	Lc+	Lc	Lc+	Lb	Lc+	Lc	Lc+	Lb	Lc+	Lc	Lc+	Lb	Lc+
alone	Lb	alone	Lb	alone	Lb	alone	Lb	alone	Lb	alone	Lb	alone	Lb	alone	Lb
Lc45	8.87	8.87	8.62	5.95^*	8.87	8.67	8.01	nd	8.87	8.66	7.48	7.54	8.87	8.86	7.64	7.84
Lc72	8.92	7.98^*	8.62	7.74^*	8.92	8.88	8.01	3.77^*	8.92	7.83^*	7.48	6.65^*	8.92	8.86	7.64	3.94^*
Lc104	8.70	7.83^*	8.62	7.89^*	8.70	8.86	8.01	6.84^*	8.70	8.92	7.48	7.84	8.70	8.58	7.64	nd

nd, not detectable (mean values <3 log cfu/mL); Lb, Lactobacillus; Lc, Lactococcus;

* associations that showed significant decrease.

Figure 1 Acidifying activity (ΔpH, mean ± standard deviation) of the selected starter and single strains (Lc45, Lb91, Lb101).

Figure 2 pH evolution in control cheeses and experimental cheeses (mean ± standard deviation of three cheese-making trials).

Figure 3 Lactic acid microflora evolution in control and experimental cheeses (mean in log cfu/g ± standard deviation of three batches).