JOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION, vol.45, no.5, 2021 (SCI-Expanded)
In this study, bee bread and bee pollen samples were characterized in terms of presence of fructophilic lactic acid bacteria (FLAB). Following discrimination and identification of FLAB strains, their functional roles were determined. Genotypic characterization of FLAB strains revealed the presence of 27 distinct strains belonging to Lactobacillus kunkeei (21), Fructobacillus fructosus (3), Lactobacillus plantarum (2), and Leuconostoc mesenteroides (1) strains. In terms of functional roles, all FLAB strains demonstrated high levels of autoaggregation and hydrophobicity properties whereas L. kunkeei and F. fructosus strains did not tolerate bile salts and low pH conditions. A low level of antibiotic resistance was observed among FLAB strains and importantly FLAB strains demonstrated high levels of antibacterial and antifungal activities where strain specific properties played roles. The highest exopolysaccharide (EPS) production yields were obtained for L. kunkeei AP15, AP37 and L. mesenteroides AP-40 which produced 2.79, 2.01, and 5.37 g/L EPS, respectively.