Phenotypic characterization and RAPD-PCR profiling of Acetobacter sp. isolated from spirit vinegar production

For the isolation of acetic acid bacteria from the >>seed vinegar<< culture, laboratory vinegar production was initiated with a culture for spirit vinegar production. The second and the third cycles of the process were followed. Samples for the isolation of acetic acid bacteria from the bioprocess liquid were taken four times during each cycle. A total of forty-seven strains were isolated. They were phenotyped as Acetobacter sp. Forty-one of them were identified as A. europaeus. Differentiation among 13 strains of A. europaeus and four other Acetobacter strains not identified as A. europaeus was done by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Seven different RAPD profiles were identified. From this it was assumed that in spirit vinegar genotypically different strains of acetic acid bacteria were present.