Systematic approach to select lactic acid bacteria from spontaneously fermented milk able to fight Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus

The aim of this study was to present a systematic approach to select lactic acid bacteria strains to be added in food products and with antimicrobial properties against Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. A total of 73 lactic acid bacteria was selected and tested for their antimicrobial activity against the target pathogens. A subgroup of 44 isolates was selected applying the Principal Component Analysis and tested for co-aggregation and inhibition of biofilm forming ability against the two target pathogens. Based on the latter properties and Heat Map Analysis, 10 strains were submitted to whole genome sequencing to achieve the species identification and explore the presence of genes coding virulence factors and for bacteriocin. The application of the systematic approach presented in this study resulted in the final selection of one Lactobacillus paracasei and four Lactobacillus fermentum strains promising as strains to be added in food products.