Autolytic and Proteolytic Properties of Strains of Lactococcus lactis Isolated from Different Vegetables, Raw-Milk Cheeses and Commercial Starter Cultures

Abstract

The autolysis and proteolysis are important features in the strains of L. lactis used in the manufacture of cheese. The autolytic and proteolytic activity of L. lactis has been linked with the development of flavor and texture in the cheese. On the other hand, there is a growing interest in new strains isolated from raw-milk cheeses and vegetables. These wild-strains have showed different features of industrial importance in comparison with those observed in commercial cultures. However, it still not clear if the autolytic and proteolytic properties of these wild-strains differ from the industrial strains. The objective of this work was to assess the autolytic and proteolytic activities of 21 strains of L. lactis isolated from diverse sources. The rates of autolysis and proteolysis observed in vitro were highly strain-dependent. The pH and the NaCl concentration in the media affected significantly the autolysis of L. lactis. The strains isolated from vegetable showed in general low and medium autolytic activity, whereas the strains isolated from raw-milk cheeses had medium to high autolytic activity. The strain with highest proteolytic activity was a strain isolated from corn leaves. Although still not clear how this strain acquired this pronounced characteristic.