Rep PCR Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Raw Cows’ Milk in Algeria.

Milk and indigenous fermented, milk based products are a rich source of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and may serve as a source of potential probiotics. In the present study LAB were isolated from raw cows’ milk sampled at five different Algerian farms. A total of 24 Gram positive, catalase negative isolates where identified to species level using a combination of (GTG) 5 -based rep-PCR fingerprinting and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. All isolates were identified as Enterococcus faecium and all isolates had highly similar rep-PCR profiles. Four representative isolates were screened for acid tolerance, bile salts tolerance, antimicrobial susceptibility, antibacterial activity and haemolysis. The four selected strains all exhibited good tolerance to low pH (2, 3, and 4), and to bile salts (concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, and 2%) and were sensitive to chloramphenicol, vancomycin, tetracycline, gentamicine and peniciline G, but were resistant to oxaciline. Cell-free supernatants of the four tested strains all inhibited Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes but not Salmonella Typhi. No haemolytic activity was observed.