Identification and Partial Characterization of Antilisterial Compounds Produced by Dairy Yeasts

Food-grade yeasts make significant contributions to flavor development in fermented foods. Some yeast species also inhibit undesirable bacteria, yeasts and molds, apparently by producing antimicrobial compounds called mycocins. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of wild yeasts, isolated from raw milk and cheese in the Quebec province area, to produce antilisterial compounds. Based on an agar-membrane screening test, 22 of 95 isolates, namely one Candida catenulata, one Candida parapsilosis, five Candida tropicalis, four Debaryomyces hansenii, one Geotrichum candidum, nine Pichia fermentans and one Pichia anomala, exhibited a significant inhibitory effect against Listeria ivanovii HPB28. Four in particular, namely C. tropicalis LMA-693, D. hansenii LMA-916, P. fermentans LMA-256 and P. anomala LMA-827, produced substances extractable from culture supernatant and capable of decreasing 18-h growth of L. ivanovii by, respectively, 97, 92, 84 and 78 %. Heating the extracted material (100 degrees C for 10 min) decreased these values to 72, 62, 58 and 31 %, respectively, while treatment with trypsin or pronase E decreased them to as little as 27 %. The extracts reduced the numbers of viable Listeria monocytogenes by as much as four log cycles within an hour. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a high proportion of lysis among the cells, apparently due to pore formation. This study clearly shows the potential of these four yeast isolates for use as bio-preservatives in a variety of dairy products.