Abstract #M144

# M144
Properties of Enterococcus faecium strains isolated from traditional Carpathian ewe’s cheese.
O. Tsisaryk*1, I. Slyvka1, L. Musiy1, I. Kushnir1, T. Bocer2, 1Lviv National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies, Lviv, Ukraine, 2Rzeszow University, Rzeszow, Poland.

The purpose of our work was to study the technological properties and sensitivity to antibiotics of the 4 strains of Enterococcus faecium isolated from traditional Carpathian cheese. These strains are classified as Enterococcus faecium based on the microbial and genotypic properties (RAPD-PCR, RFLP-PCR, sequence 16S rRNA), but are not registered in Gene Bank as a nucleotide sequence. The strains were labeled as SB20, SB18, SB6, SB12. The studies included morphological characteristics, optimal growth temperature, the ability to produce CO2 from glucose, hydrolysis of arginine, catalase activity and fermentation of spectrum carbohydrates. Technological properties were evaluated as the ability to form lactic acid and the ability to grow in the presence of 2, 4, and 6.5% NaCl. The sensitivity to antibiotics (11 group) was determined by disc diffusion method. It was established that the strains SB20, SB18, SB6, SB12 were gram-positive cocci, grew well on MRS at temperatures of 15–45°C, did not ferment fructose, raffinose, xylose and sorbitol, were catalase negative, did not form CO2 from glucose, hydrolyzed arginine, grew in the environment of 6.5% NaCl. The acidity of skim milk icreased to 80–82 °T and the pH decreased to 5.1 upon 24 h fermentation. It was established that all strains of Enterococcus faecium were sensitive to a wide range of antibiotic (penicillin, makrolides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins, nitrofurans, chloramphenicol, glycopeptides, polimikany, rifampicin) except for aminoglycosides (gentamicin, streptomycin, kanamycin). The natural resistance to aminoglycosides is explained by the absence of a system transfer of antibiotics through the cell membrane by anaerobic Enterococcus faecium. It was concluded that enterococci strains SB20, SB18, SB6, SB12 are showing good technological properties and high sensitivity to antibiotics of all groups and may be considered as potentially promising for the industry, but further research on their virulence and pathogenicity is required.

Key Words: Carpathian cheese, Enterococcus faecium, antibiotic resistance