Enterococcus, a common commensal organism in the human gut, exhibits a dual nature with certain strains offering probiotic benefits, while others are associated with nosocomial infections. In this ...study, we conducted a comprehensive examination of the genome of Enterococcus mundtii strain 203 to assess its probiotic potential and safety profile. The complete genome sequencing, assembly, and annotation were performed, followed by bioinformatics analysis. Our investigation reveals a detailed characterization of the Enterococcus mundtii 203 genome, originally isolated from camel feces, with a size of 3,053,234 bases and a GC content of 38.4%. Importantly, our analysis suggests that this strain poses no risk as a human pathogen due to the absence of antibiotic resistance determinants and virulence factors. The genome harbors a multitude of genes responsible for lactic acid production, bioactive peptide synthesis, adhesion molecule expression, resistance to harsh gut conditions, and enhancement of host metabolism. These findings underline the potential probiotic functionality of Enterococcus mundtii 203, positioning it as a promising candidate. Notably, our study did not identify any sequences related to insertion elements or CRISPR-Cas fragments.
Biopolymer‐based films present numerous environmental advantages. The current study aims to investigate the impact of storage time on the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and functional properties of ...pectin‐based films containing Thymus capitatus (TEO) and Cinnamomum verum (CEO) essential oils (EOs). Films were prepared using the solution casting method; their different properties were evaluated over 1 month at room temperature. Both types of films displayed strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes), Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium). Pectin‐based film incorporated with CEO displayed greater antioxidant activity than film incorporated with TEO. The two EOS increased the films' elongation at break and tensile strength. However, their moisture content and thickness decreased. The antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the CEO‐ and TEO‐based films decreased after 4 weeks of storage, while moisture content increased. However, the films' mechanical parameters remained stable during the entire storage period.
Biological and functional properties of pectin‐based film incorporated with essential oils.
Legumes, native to the Mediterranean, harbor reservoirs of endophytes that help plants adapt to various environmental stresses. The current study was carried out to evaluate the plant growth ...characteristics and antifungal activity of root nodule endophytes as biocontrol agents and plant growth promoters. Eleven bacterial endophytes isolated from root nodules of Sulla flexuosa L. grown in Northwest Morocco were assessed for their plant growth-promoting (PGP), and antifungal properties. Four endophytic bacteria were selected for their efficiency in solubilizing inorganic phosphate. The selected strains were positive for more than 2 PGP traits, including indole acetic acid, ACC deaminase, siderophore, and ammonia production. The screening for lytic enzyme production revealed that all strains were capable of producing chitinase, cellulase, catalase, and protease, while the secretion of amylase and urease was not detected. The HFB11 was the only strain incapable of producing pectinase. In vitro experiments revealed the strains’ potential to withstand salt and drought stresses by being able to grow in high concentrations of NaCl and PEG. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the strains were identified as Enterobacter and Serratia. The antagonistic activity of the strains against Botrytis cinerea, Aspergillus ochraceus, and Fusarium oxysporum was detected and they were shown to inhibit the fungal growth with various percentages. The highest percentage of inhibition was observed for HFB3 against B. cinerea with 50% inhibition followed by HFB8 which was able to inhibit 47% of F. oxysporum’s growth. In contrast, a weak inhibition was observed against A. ochraceus. All these findings indicate that the chosen endophytes, halotolerant Serratia inhibens HFB8 and Enterobacter hormaechei HFB11, might be used as candidates for effective biocontrol and growth promotion of legumes.
Goat milk, a highly nutritious product is widely used in cheese making. In order to properly select suitable milk samples for production, fifty-five samples of raw goat’s milk were collected from ...eight farms in the North-West of Morocco to analyze their counts of various mesophilic bacteria and determining the physicochemical characteristics during different seasons of the year. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated, identified, and screened for several technological properties. Overall mean values for mesophilic aerobic flora were above 7.10 log cfu/mL in spring and 5.80 log cfu/mL during winter with a statistically significant difference found between all the microorganisms except for coagulase-positive staphylococci. The physical and chemical composition tests showed higher values for fat (4.9±1.01%), dry matter (13.98±0.95%), ash (1.3±0.12%), lactose (3.1±0.65 g/L), and protein (4.6±1.03 g/L) during the winter season which could be of great interest for cheese production. fatty acids (FA) composition mainly consisted of saturated fatty acids (SFA) in both seasons. Lactococci isolates were the most acidifying (pH6h=4.35–pH24h=4.08) while Lactobacillus paracasei produced the highest proteolytic activity (66.93±2.63 mgTyr.L-1) and diacetyl-acetoin (54.83±0.46 mg diacetyl/L). None of the tested isolates were lipolytic, however, several lactobacilli and lactococci exhibited a high salt tolerance and exopolysaccharide (EPS) production. Lactobacillus plantarum exhibited the highest lysis rate (67.34±1.76%) while the antibacterial profile ranged between 10.5±0.137 and 22.9±0.23 mm. The obtained results highlight the importance of Moroccan goat milk as a valuable component for cheese making due to its rich fat and protein contents alongside its abundance in LABs with biotechnological properties.
Plastic packaging has been widely criticized due to the environmental pollution it entails. Biopolymer‐based films could provide an interesting eco‐friendly alternative. This study aimed to ...investigate the effect of plasticizer type on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of gelatin, pectin, starch, gelatin/pectin, gelatin/starch, and starch/pectin‐based films. Films were prepared using the casting method. Among the six types of films studied, gelatin/pectin‐based film plasticized with sorbitol displayed the best functional properties. Tensile strength and elongation at break were 52.46 MPa and 19.80%; moisture content, water vapor permeability, and water resistance were 19.96%, 3.24 × 107 g s–1 m–1 Pa–1, and 19.96%, respectively. Mentha pulegium and Lavandula angustifolia essential oils were incorporated into the selected film and their effects on the film's characteristics were evaluated. The incorporation of essential oils resulted in films with enhanced antibacterial properties, lower water vapor permeability, and reduced mechanical properties.
Practical applications
Biopolymer‐based films have attracted widespread attention as an alternative to plastic packaging. In this study, we have demonstrated that gelatin/pectin‐based film plasticized with sorbitol at 30% displayed good mechanical and physicochemical properties. The incorporation of Mentha pulegium and Lavandula angustifolia essential oils into this matrix resulted in films with important antimicrobial activity and adequate mechanical and physicochemical characteristics. The selected combination could be used as bioactive packaging to preserve and prolong the shelf life of food.
This research investigated the physicochemical, microbiological, and bacterial diversity of Jben cheese, a popular artisanal variety in Morocco. The bacterial diversity was explored using ...culture-independent methods, including temporal temperature gel electrophoresis (TTGE), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Significant intra-sample differences were observed for most physicochemical parameters within each milk type, while inter-sample differences occurred between cow and goat cheeses for dry matter and ash. Jben cheese exhibited distinct characteristics, with low pH values of 3.96, 4.16, and 4.18 for cow, goat, and mixed cheeses, respectively. Goat cheeses had higher fat (49.23 g/100 g), ash (1.91 g/100 g), and dry matter (36.39 g/100 g) than cow cheeses. All cheeses displayed high microbial counts, with a notable prevalence of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) group, averaging 8.80 ± 0.92 log CFU/g. Jben cheese also displayed high contamination levels with total coliforms, faecal coliforms, yeast, and molds. Fatty acid profiling revealed fraudulent practices in Jben cheese marketing, with cow or mixed cheeses sold as goat cheese, as proven by low capric acid concentration. HTS analysis of Jben cheese identified ten genera and twenty-four species, highlighting
Lactococcus lactis
as predominant. TTGE and DGGE confirmed the presence of
L. lactis
but failed to provide the detailed profile achieved through HTS analysis. HTS has been demonstrated to be more reliable, whereas TTGE/DGGE methods, though informative, were more time-consuming and less reliable. Despite limitations, the combined use of TTGE, DGGE, and HTS provided a comprehensive view of indigenous bacterial communities in Jben cheese, identifying
L. lactis
as the main species.
Legume plants rely upon multipartite interactions between rhizobia and bacterial endophytes within root nodules to facilitate plant growth. This study aimed to isolate and identify indigenous ...endophytic bacteria from root nodules of
Sulla aculeolata
L. in Northeast Morocco. Based on their tri-calcium phosphate (TCP) solubilization capacity, five endophytes were chosen for further evaluation of their plant growth traits. All isolates were hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and siderophore producers, while only BCH24 tested positive for ACC deaminase activity. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) synthesis ranged from 1.27 mgL
− 1
to 2.89 mgL
− 1
, while soluble phosphate concentrations was between 7.99 mg L
− 1
and 110.58 mg L
− 1
. Additionally, all the endophytes were able to produce more than two lytic enzymes. Based on the analysis of 16 S rRNA gene sequences five isolates were identified as
Enterobacter
sp (BCH13, BCH2),
Pseudomonas
sp (BCH16, BCH24), and
Serratia
sp (BCH10). The strains inhibited the growth of three phytopathogenic fungi, with BCH13 exhibiting the highest rate against
Aspergillus ochraceus
(45%), followed by BCH24 against
Fusarium oxysporum
(40%) and
Botrytis cinerea
(35%), respectively. In vivo inoculation of halotolerant strains
Enterobacter hormaechei
(BCH13) and
Pseudomonas moraviensis
(BCH16) under gnotobiotic conditions revealed that co-inoculation with
Rhizobium sullae
KS6 improved plant development compared to single inoculation, making it a promising eco-friendly bio-inoculant for legume
Sulla flexuosa
L. production.
Lead (Pb) is the most common heavy metal contaminant in the environment. Pb is not an essential element for plants, but they absorb it when it is present in their environment, especially in rural ...areas when the soil is polluted by automotive exhaust and in fields contaminated with fertilizers containing heavy metal impurities. To investigate lead effects on nutrient uptake and metabolism, two plant species, spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and wheat (Triticum aestivum), were grown under hydroponic conditions and stressed with lead nitrate, Pb(NO3)2, at three concentrations (1.5, 3, and 15mM).
Lead is accumulated in a dose-dependent manner in both plant species, which results in reduced growth and lower uptake of all mineral ions tested. Total amounts and concentrations of most mineral ions (Na, K, Ca, P, Mg, Fe, Cu and Zn) are reduced, although Mn concentrations are increased, as its uptake is reduced less relative to the whole plant’s growth. The deficiency of mineral nutrients correlates in a strong decrease in the contents of chlorophylls a and b and proline in both species, but these effects are less pronounced in spinach than in wheat. By contrast, the effects of lead on soluble proteins differ between species; they are reduced in wheat at all lead concentrations, whereas they are increased in spinach, where their value peaks at 3mM Pb.
The relative lead uptake by spinach and wheat, and the different susceptibility of these two species to lead treatment are discussed.
•The chemical and microbiological characteristics of the fresh goat cheeses made in Northern Morocco were studied.•Fresh homemade goat cheeses made with three different technologies were ...studied.•Cheeses are characterized by low pH values and low dry matter contents, and high levels of free fatty acids.•Lactic acid bacteria were the dominant microbiota, being the enterococci the main isolates.•No Salmonella spp. was detected. Listeria monocytogenes was detected in four cheese samples.
A chemical and microbiological survey was performed on 28 fresh raw goat's milk cheeses from Northern Morocco. Cheeses were characterized by their low pH values (3.81–4) and low dry matter contents (24.9–31.2g/100g). Fat, protein and ash contents were 14. 4–17.1, 8.3–10.3, and 1.12–1.75g/100g, respectively. High levels of FFA were determined (3260–3507mg/kg), the most abundant being oleic, stearic, palmitic, myristic and capric acid. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were the dominant microbiota (7.9–9.7logcfu/g), and yeasts and total coliforms were also present in high numbers (5–7logcfu/g). Salmonella spp. was not detected in any of the cheese samples. Listeria monocytogenes was detected in four cheeses. A total of 294 LAB isolates were identified by PCR as Enterococcus spp. (249 isolates), Lactococcus lactis (36), Lactobacillus plantarum (7) and L. paracasei (2).
PDF
