Perfil microbiano láctico do queijo de coalho artesanal de Cachoeirinha – PE, Brasil

Abstract

This paper deals the characterization of lactic microflora of artisanal “coalho” cheese produced in the city of Cachoeirinha, semi arid of Pernambuco - Brazil. Were analyzed four samples collected in dates with differents rainfall. The lactic microflora was assessed by isolation in APT and MRS culture medias, both incubated at temperatures of 30 and 42 ° C, followed by two purifications. Was considered lactic acid bacteria (LAB) only the gram-positive, catalase negative, in the form of coccus and bacillus, and producing acid in litmus milk. The differentiation of the genus was performed by testing for growth based on the physiology of the isolates. From a total of 320 isolates, 295 were confirmed as LAB. The mean genera of LAB isolated by the four samples were: Enterococcus (36.27%), Streptococcus (25.12%), Lactococcus (23.03%), Lactobacillus (13.55%) and Leuconostoc(2.3%). The constant presence and distribution of the genera isolated in different periods indicate that, in the samples analyzed, there is no apparent correlation between the distribution of the genera isolated and different rainfall occurred in the sampling dates, indicating the product standardization.