DETERMINATION OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE AND BIOGENIC AMINE PRODUCTION OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM FERMENTED TURKISH SAUSAGE (SUCUK)

The aim of this study was to isolate lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from sucuk and to determine their antibiotic resistance and biogenic amine production abilities. A total of 65 presumptive LAB were isolated and they were molecularly identified as Pediococcus acidilactici (47.7%), Enterococcus faecium (36.9%), Lactobacillus sakei ssp. carnosus (4.6%), Lactobacillus sakei ssp. sakei (4.6%), Pediococcus pentosaceus (3.1%), Enterococcus faecalis (1.5%) and Weissella viridescens (1.5%) by sequencing 16S rDNA. The LAB were found resistant to clinically relevant antibiotics to cure infections. Sixty-eight percent of the Enterococcus strains and the other entire LAB displayed resistance from 2 to 8 of the antibiotics tested. All LAB did not decarboxylate histidine, lysine or ornithine. The decarboxylase genes (hdc, ldc and odc) were not detected in LAB. However, 68.0% of the Enterococcus strains decarboxylated tyrosine. The tyrosine decarboxylase gene (tdc) was also detected in these tyraminogenic strains. Practical ApplicationsLactic acid bacteria (LAB) are one of the most important groups of bacteria that are known to be technologically important in the production of dry-fermented sausages such as sucuk. The present study describes isolation, identification of LAB from sucuk and determines their antibiotic resistance and biogenic amine production abilities. LAB isolated from sucuk samples were found resistant to clinically important antibiotics and most of them have multiple antibiotic resistance patterns. The findings of our study suggest that LAB in sucuk may play a role to spread the antibiotic resistance between other bacteria including pathogens. In addition, most of the Enterococcus strains isolated from sucuk produce tyramine. For these reasons, LAB isolated from sucuk may have a potential risk to consumer health indirectly.