ISOLATION, IDENTIFICATION AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA FROM ALGERIAN HONEYBEE COLLECTED POLLEN

Abstract

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are involved in the manufacture of various and different fermented foods as starter cultures. They are also considered as probiotic microorganisms, which inhibit pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. This work was conducted to identify indigenous LAB with or without antimicrobial activity, present in Honeybee collected pollen obtained from three different regions in Algeria. A total of 90 isolates of LAB were obtained. Strains isolated from the sample P1 belonged to Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Lactococcus sp., and Pediococcus acidilactici. However, isolates from sample P2 were identified as Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus sp., Lactococcus lactis, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Enterococci were the most frequently found in the two first samples. Wherease, strains isolated from the sample P3 were identified as Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus sp., Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus sp., Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. From all LAB isolates studied, only three strains show a good antimicrobial activity (Leuconostoc mesenteroides P2PS05, Lactobacillus plantarum P3PP11 and Enterococcus sp. P2PS09). The remaining strains present a moderate or a weak activity against some enteropathogenic bacteria. Selected LAB from bee-collected pollen showed a good potential as bio-controls.