Isolation and Identification of L. plantarum from Iranian Fermented Cucumbers by Conventional Culture and PCR Methods

Abstract

The species of Lactobacillus are widely present in many natural environments that are<br />important in fermented processes. Among these species some belong to the lactic acid bacteria group that are<br />useful in fermented food. One of the species of lactobacilli group such as L. plantarum provides health benefits,<br />but their identification is one of the main issue. In order to proceed with this project, conventional culture<br />method and PCR primers have been employed to identify L. plantarum. According to the conventional culture<br />method, colonies were Gram-positive and catalase-negative in the form of coccoid-rod, short, long, thin and fine.<br />Under the PCR conditions, L. plantarum and L. brevis strains were detected in only one sample at 250C. In<br />chemical technique, L. plantarum was separated from L. brevis in four cultures medium with 4-7% NaCl where<br />L. brevis became inactive. The isolated L. plantarum that was used in the fermented cucumbers prevented the<br />growth and development of pathogenic organisms.