MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA IN JERSEY CATTLE MILK FROM TIERRAS ALTAS DISTRICT

Abstract

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are unicellular prokaryotic microorganisms responsible for the fermentation process of foods such as: milk, meat and vegetables, that is, they degrade carbohydrates and produce lactic acid. The composition of lactic acid bacteria in milk are important factors in the industrial production of high-quality dairy products. The diversity of lactic acid bacteria present in the milk of the Jersey cattle breed is biological indicators of the lactic acid fermentation processes for the manufacture of fermented milk, cheese, yogurt and other products derived from milk. The type of bacterial species used as initiator in the fermentation process is a determining factor in the quality and sensory characteristics of the final product. The objective is to determine the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of lactic acid bacteria in the milk of Jersey cattle. The Jersey breed is a British cattle breed introduced in the Chiriquí Highlands, whose potential as sources of milk production in Panama, specifically in the Chiriquí Highlands, is of great interest in socio-economic development and is valued as a dairy breed in livestock activity. The scope of the research is framed in the identification of lactic acid bacteria by molecular methods and enzymatic activity. As a finding, the biological diversity of Streptococcus, Streptobacillus and Bifidobacterium identified in the milk of Jersey cattle is proposed, with enzymatic activity of 2% heterofermentative and 92% homofermentative, which reveal benefits for the manufacture of dairy products.