ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA IN KURDISH CHEESE DURING RIPENING USING 16S RRNA GENE SEQUENCE ANALYSIS

Kurdish cheese is a special local cheese produced and consumed in Khorasan province, North East, Iran. One-hundred and five lactic acid bacteria isolates from various steps of Kurdish cheese ripening after identification of genus level by biochemical tests and molecular analysis based on universal and specific primers are Enterococcus faecium (29.5%), Lactobacillus plantarum (16.2%), Enterococcus faecalis (13.3%), Lactococcus lactis subsp lactis (11.4%), Enterococcus durans (8.6%), Lactobacillus pentosus (8.6%), Lactobacillus casei (3.8%), Enterococcus hirae (2.9%), Lactobacillus paracasei (2.9%), Lactobacillus helveticus (1.9%) and Lactobacillus brevis (0.9%). In initial stages of Kurdish cheese ripening, L. lactis subsp lactis was the predominant LAB, while Enterococcus faecium and Lactobacillus plantarum were the predominant LAB at the later stages.