Evaluation of lactic acid bacteria and yeast diversity in traditional white pickled and fresh soft cheeses from the mountain regions of Serbia and lowland regions of Croatia

- Indigenous microbiota of 18 artisanal cheeses from Serbia and Croatia was determined.
- LAB and yeast species were identified by using traditional and molecular methods.
- High diversity of LAB and yeast populations were found.
- Impact on starter culture development for traditional cheeses with defined properties
- Implementation in controlled production of artisanal cheeses with geographical origin

The goal of this study was the characterisation of indigenous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts isolated from nine white pickled (BG) and nine fresh soft (ZG) artisanal cheeses collected in Serbia and Croatia. While LAB were present in all of the cheeses collected, yeasts were found in all BG cheeses but only in three ZG cheese samples. High LAB and yeast species diversity was determined (average H′L = 0.4 and H′Y = 0.8, respectively). The predominant LAB species in white pickled (BG) cheeses were Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides, while in fresh soft (ZG) cheeses the most dominant LAB species were L. lactis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides. Among the 20 yeast species found, Debaryomyces hansenii, Candida zeylanoides, and Torulaspora delbrueckii were found to be predominant in BG cheeses, while Yarrowia lipolytica was predominant in ZG cheeses. The characterisation of metabolic and technological potentials revealed that 53.4% of LAB isolates produced antimicrobial compounds, 44.3% of LAB strains showed proteolytic activity, while most of the yeast species possessed either lipolytic or proteolytic activity. In conclusion, the results obtained in this study showed that the composition of LAB and yeast populations in white pickled and fresh soft cheeses is region specific. The knowledge gained in this study could eventually be used to select region specific LAB and yeast strains for the production of white pickled and fresh soft artisanal cheeses with geographically specific origins under controlled conditions.