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Research Project: Improved Processes for the Preservation and Utilization of Vegetables, Including Cucumber, Sweetpotato, Cabbage, and Peppers to Produce Safe, High Quality Products with Reduced Energy Use and Waste

Location: Food Science Research

Title: Genotypic and phenotypic diversity among Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus pentosus isolated from industrial scale cucumber fermentations

Author
item Perez Diaz, Ilenys
item Johanningsmeier, Suzanne
item ANEKELLA, KARTHEEK - North Carolina State University
item Pagan Medina, Christian
item MENDEZ-SANDOVAL, LESLEY - North Carolina State University
item ARELLANO, CONSUELO - North Carolina State University
item PRICE, ROBERT - North Carolina State University
item DAUGHTRY, KATHERYNE - North Carolina State University
item BORGES, MICHELLE - North Carolina State University
item BREAM, CHLOE - North Carolina State University
item CONNELLY, LAUREN - North Carolina State University
item DIECK, SUSAN - North Carolina State University
item LEVI, MEREDITH - North Carolina State University
item MCMURTRIE, ERIN - North Carolina State University
item SMITH, RICKEY - North Carolina State University
item THEORA, JEANETTE - North Carolina State University
item WENDLAND, PAIGE - North Carolina State University
item GOMEZ-RODRIGUEZ, FRANCISCO - Instituto De La Grasa
item ARROYO-LOPEZ, FRANCISCO NOÉ - Instituto De La Grasa

Submitted to: Food Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/30/2020
Publication Date: 4/1/2021
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/7139262
Citation: Perez Diaz, I.M., Johanningsmeier, S.D., Anekella, K., Pagan Medina, C.G., Mendez-Sandoval, L., Arellano, C., Price, R., Daughtry, K.V., Borges, M., Bream, C., Connelly, L., Dieck, S.E., Levi, M.T., Mcmurtrie, E.K., Smith, R.E., Theora, J.C., Wendland, P., Gomez-Rodriguez, F., Arroyo-Lopez, F. 2021. Genotypic and phenotypic diversity among Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus pentosus isolated from industrial scale cucumber fermentations. Food Microbiology. 94:103652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2020.103652.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2020.103652

Interpretive Summary: With the adoption of sodium chloride free cucumber fermentation, it is necessary to identify suitable starter cultures that can quickly convert the sugars naturally present in the fruits to lactic acid with a concomitant drop in pH and inhibition of undesired microbes. This study focused on a screening of a collection of 243 bacterial cultures, primarily Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus pentosus, obtained from commercial cucumber fermentations to be furthered evaluated as starter cultures. It was observed that most L. plantarum/pentosus isolated from cucumber fermentations can grow fast enough in cucumber fermentations and inhibit Lactobacillus brevis, which produces carbon dioxide and causes cucumber bloating. Six L. pentosus and 1 L. plantarum are candidates for mixed starter cultures that may inhibit spoilage-associated L. buchneri.

Technical Abstract: The Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus pentosus genotypes existing in industrial-scale cucumber fermentations were defined using rep-PCR-(GTG)5. The ability of each genotype to ferment cucumbers under various conditions was evaluated. Rep-PCR-(GTG)5 was the technique capable of illustrating the most intraspecies discrimination compared to the sequencing of housekeeping genes (recA, dnaK, pheS and rpoA), MLST and RAPD with primers LP1, OPL5, M14 and COC. Ten genotypic clusters were defined for the 199 L. pentosus tested and three for the 17 L. plantarum clones. The ability of the 216 clones genotyped and 37 additional cucumber fermentation isolates, of the same species, to rapidly decrease the pH of cucumber juice medium under various combinations of sodium chloride (0 or 6%), initial pH (4.0 or 5.2) and temperatures (15 or 30 °C) was determined using a fractional factorial screening design. A reduced fermentation ability was observed for the L. plantarum strains as compared to L. pentosus, except for clone 3.2.8, which had a ropy phenotype and aligned to genotypic cluster A. L. pentosus strains belonging to three genotypic clusters (B, D and J) were more efficient in cucumber juice fermentation as compared to most L. plantarum strains. This research identified three genetically diverse L. pentosus strains and one L. plantarum as candidates for starter cultures for commercial cucumber fermentations.