Ecology of indigenous lactic acid bacteria from Rioja Alavesa red wines, focusing on biogenic amine production ability

Evolution of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from two wineries located in Rioja Alavesa region has been analyzed during the whole winemaking process. Special attention was focused on determining their biogenic amine (BA) forming potential. From 295 isolates, 36 different genotypic profiles were identified, from which 17 belonged to Oenococccus oeni. Although LAB species evolution differed in both wineries during winemaking process, O. oeni became the predominant species in both wineries once malolactic fermentation (MLF) began. Each winery showed an exclusive ecosystem with own microbiota, as low coincident O. oeni strains were identified. Both phenotypical and molecular methods revealed the low incidence of BA producing LAB strains, as exclusively Lactobacillus hilgardii strains were positive for putrescine production. Other bacteria genus rarely found in wine environment such as Staphylococcus and Paenibacillus were also identified. Indeed, this is the first work in which those species have been reported as BA producers in wine. In addition, BA concentration was also monitored. Both wineries showed low concentrations for each BA, far from limits recommended for safety and quality principles. These results emphasize the potential application of these autochthonous strains in order to minimize BA formation during the whole winemaking process.